Kingdom Hearts: Cavern of Hearts
by icefire5689
Summary: A few weeks after the defeat of Org. XIII, Sora receives a letter from the King, informing him of a rising order.
1. Message in a Bottle

**:: Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters! _This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht and icefire5689._**

_**In the end of kh2 there's a short clip with Riku and Sora talking about their previous encounter. Kairi comes running up holding a bottle with a message on it. Saying it's a message from the king, Sora opens it and the three of them read it together. Maybe we can use that as an intro to our story?**_

_**~The "bad guys" **_  
_** Our villains are a group of around 12 people. Passiva (the leader), the twins (jealousy), Angst (hate/anger), Sorrow, Love, Happiness, Jest (Humor), Sarcasm, Confused, Scared, and Rebel.  
:: :Passiva remains impassive throughout the story but seems to be gaining emotion as well, but no one knows for sure why.  
:: :The twins are a bunch of whiner babies They are envious for things and tend to whine about it. They are no problem in battle because all they seem to do is bicker.  
:: :Angst is a hot-headed villain who is easily provoked. His staff is straight while beginning the fight, but once you make him mad, he gets serious and the blades open up.  
:: : Sorrow is a girl who's attitude is, well, sorrowful. She has white hair with a black bandage over her eyes. Not a lot is known about her other than she is creepy and mysterious with long while hair and a blindfold covering her eyes. (compare her to the grudge hehe) She rarely takes off her blindfold, and the only instances where she does are in tight places in battle.  
:: : Love and Happiness are both girls who seem slightly different than the other members. Happiness is an optimist and Love always seems to have their far off expression like she's thinking about someone. Both are a sinch to beat when it comes to battle.  
:: : Jest has a sense of humor off battle and during. She seems to be able to laugh at anything, whether it's simple or just watching someone suffer. She may appear vulnerable but during battle she gets serious. She attacks with a moogle doll which she uses like a voodoo doll, able to take control of any 1 character at a time. Using that to her advantage she can turn someone against the group and just kick back and watch all the fun. She prefers not to attack up close but watch at a distance.  
:: : Sarcasm is, well, his name pretty much says it all. He tends to look at things in his own point-of-view and enjoys bringing others down.  
:: : Confused is a confused girl who doesn't ever seem to recall why she is here or what she is supposed to do. She never seems to follow through with orders because they just don't ever seem to make any sense to her. Think of her as the Demyx of the group.  
:: :Scared gets frightened easily and is pretty much a wimp at battle. He may try to pull a prank or scare someone intentionally but it always seems to backfire and get him instead.  
:: : Rebel is a fiery red-head who goes through life doing as he pleases. He's the rebel. At one moment he may seem like an ally and will lend a hand, but the next he seems like a back-stabbing traitor. It's hard to figure him out and no one seems to know what he is up to. But he always has a plan of action in mind, for his own purposes. He tends to use people for his own wants. His attitude and actions are similar to Axel in kh2. **_  
__

_**~People have a theory for th KH series saying there are heartless, nobodies and soulless (heart, body and soul). If you read in DiZ's notes it talks a little about that as well. So we figured that we would expound on that. Our villains are not human, but basically a form of emotion. Or in other words, a soul. Org. XIII was all about no emotion, so we figured these ones might as well be. Like the Org, their goal is to become whole/ complete. By doing that they are after hearts.  
In the kh series, hearts are what keeps you alive, defends you and gives you character. That's what they are after. With the hearts they have more emotion so they can become closer to complete beings. They are trying to unlock the world's core to get to the world's heart. That way they have more access to those hearts. Defeating heartless is also another strategy they use but they are not as focused on that as the Organization was.**_

Since they are made of soul/ emotion, they want to acquire a body and a heart. So by doing that they will try to find someone similar to them or their emotion and possess them by taking complete control and become a complete being. Since nobodies have no heart for their defense, they can become possessed easier but not permanently because they lack a body. If a person has a heart, they have more of a will to stop, that is basically their defense.

_**Okay that pretty much covers the basics ^_^**_

"Sora, Riku!" Kairi called, running over the wood bridge. She held a glass bottle with a white paper rolled up in it. She caught up and caught her breath, then held up the bottle.  
"From the King?" Sora asked, surprised. He took the bottle and popped off the cork. The paper slid out into his hand. The three of them opened up the letter and began to read.

"_I'm sorry to ask but I have another favor to ask of you. Sora, Riku, Kairi please come see at your old Secret Place."_

Sora looked from Kairi to Riku and grinned. "C'mon let's get going!"  
"But Sora is he going to be there right now?" Kairi asked.  
Sora shrugged. "Beats me. Couldn't hurt to find out. Let's go, I'll race you two. Ready Rik- Riku?"  
Kairi and Sora looked ahead and saw Riku running off to the Secret Place.  
"Keep up!" He called laughing.  
"Hey!"  
Kairi and Sora darted after him.

Kairi ducked inside the tunnel, followed by Sora. Riku sat on a small boulder, waiting.  
"Took long enough," he teased.  
Suddenly a bright light shone by the entrance. Mickey stepped out and waved.

"Good to see you Your Majesty," Sora said with a wave. "What happened?"  
Mickey sighed, "I'm sorry to say this but I have one more favor to ask of ya."  
Kairi nodded. "We're glad to help. What is it?"  
"Well, I went on my usual rounds to Hollow Bastion to check up on things with Merlin, and noticed some things weren't quite right. It seems like something else is rising, like the Organization. I've tried to check back on the World that Never Was and it seems like the stronghold may still be in use, but I am not able to get in."  
Sora looked at Riku, puzzled.  
"Would you three be able to help me find out what is going on?"  
"Sure!" Sora said with his usual enthusiasm. "Where do we start?"  
The King smiled. "It might help to retrace the steps of where the Organization's been. Check Castle Oblivion or the World That Never Was, you could find something there. Oh and you might need more help this time. Donald and Goofy won't be able to accompany you this journey, there's some business at the castle they are tending to."  
"How are we supposed to get to the World that Never Was?" Sora asked. "We don't have a way this time."  
"Roxas should be able to help you."

"Huh?" Sora asked in surprise.  
Mickey nodded.  
"How? It's kinda impossible at this point.."  
"I'll show you, but it's only temporary."  
Sora looked confused. Mickey's keyblade appeared in his hand and a light started to glow from its tip.

A faint glow grew around Sora and centered in front of him. Slowly the light took the form of Roxas.  
"Roxas!" A female voice shouted. What seemed like out of nowhere a light shot at Roxas. Seconds later Naminé was there embracing him.

"Naminé!" Roxas said with a smile. He glanced over at the others and waved.  
Everyone was staring, wide-eyed in shock.  
"Um, hey... What just happened?" Sora looked at Mickey.  
"It's only temporary, but this should last just long enough for you to finish your journey. And it looks like Naminé is going to be able to join you as well."

"But this doesn't make sense-" Sora started. He stopped, watching how happy Kairi appeared, seeing Naminé again. The two of them were already engaged in conversation.  
"Sounds good," Sora smiled. "Thank you Your Majesty-" He turned his attention to the King, but he was gone.  
"Well guys, ready to go?"  
"Where?" Roxas asked.  
"We'll fill you in," Riku answered.  
Roxas shrugged. "Okay, I guess I'm in. Where to?"  
"The King said to check Castle Oblivion. We might be able to find some help or something there."  
"Okay," Roxas put up his hand and a blast of darkness erupted from the wall. "So who's first?"

Riku pushed Sora into portal. "Let's just go."

They stepped out at Castle Oblivion's entrance.

Sora clutched his stomach. "I hate that feeling!"  
"You'll get used to it," Roxas said casually.  
The group approached the large doors and stared up at the large building.  
"What exactly are we looking for?" Kairi asked.  
Sora shrugged. "Um, anything out of the ordinary I suppose."  
"Like that?" Riku pointed to the ground in front of the large doorway.  
Lying on the ground was a boy with silvery white hair like Riku's. He was wearing a long sleeveless jacket and wore baggy gray pants.

"So this is our help?" Kairi looked at the boy while Naminé checked to see if he was breathing.  
"Actually no, I don't know who that is," Mickey spoke.

"Oh.. um, is he okay?" Riku asked, glancing over at the boy.  
Naminé nodded slightly. "He's breathing.. That's a good sign."  
The group huddled around the boy.  
Sora started to chuckle then stopped. Kairi looked at him then back at the boy. Sora began to laugh again.  
"What? Sora it's not funny, he could be hurt!" She said irritably.  
"N-no, it's not that. Look. He looks like he could be Riku's twin."  
Riku shot him a look but Sora continued chuckling to himself.  
Mickey slightly tugged on Sora's jacket.  
"Hm?"  
"Please make sure that he is okay. Once done, venture a little around or inside the castle and keep looking. I'm counting on you!" The King vanished in a flash of light.

Naminé jumped back and Roxas caught her. "He moved!" She said in surprise.  
They all looked down at the boy. He began to sit up, groaning.  
"Hey, are you okay?" Kairi knelt down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. The boy looked at her dazed then jumped back in fright, shoving her arm off him.  
"He kind of acts like you too." Sora snickered at Riku.

"It's okay," Kairi told the boy. "We're not going to hurt you. Are you alright? What's your name?"  
Sora and Riku were arguing behind her. She turned around and grabbed both their arms.  
"Cut it out! You're scaring him!" She gestured toward the boy who was watching them with wide eyes.

Sora fell silent as Kairi knelt down beside the boy again. Roxas peered over Sora's shoulder.  
"What do we do?" he whispered to him.

"Sora we have to take him with us," Kairi turned.  
"But we don't know anything about him. Like what was he doing here in the first place?"  
"You guys don't know me?" The boy looked up at Riku.  
Riku shook his head.  
"Okay, good," Kairi said. "Can you tell us what it is?"  
Roxas walked over to the large doorway. "I'll head in if you guys wanna wait out here.."

"I'll come with you." Naminé followed. "Just in case something happens."  
"That's probably a good idea." Riku nodded in agreement. He looked down at the boy. "It's possible he lost his memory in the castle."  
"I think my name...it's Riuki." The boy stood. Sora chuckled.

"Okay," Kairi smiled. "Riuki. Nice to meet you. I'm Kairi. This is Sora, and Riku. The other two were Naminé and Roxas."

The group fell back into awkward silence while waiting for the two of them to return. None of them really knew what to say to Riuki. Moments later, Naminé and Roxas returned.  
"How'd it go?" asked Kairi.  
Roxas held up a small, marble-like, orb. Every moment or so it would shine a faint red light from it.  
"This is all we got," he said.  
"Everything else in the castle seemed the same as it was last year," Naminé added.  
"Okay then.. what's it do?" Sora asked.  
Roxas shrugged. "Beats me, we tried to figure it out the way here but it didn't do anything.. Anyway, maybe it'll do something on its own later. If this is what we're looking for."  
"Alright. So, should we head to Hollow Bastion then? Maybe we can see if Cloud or Leon can help out."  
"Wait," Roxas said. "Can we go to Twilight Town? We could see if Hayner could help out, or just say 'hi'.. It's been awhile since we've seen them."  
Sora put his hands behind his head. "I guesso, what do you guys think?"  
Kairi nodded. "That should be fine."  
"What about him?" Riku asked, pointing to Riuki.  
"He could come," Kairi said. "Would you like to come with us?" she asked Riuki.

"Sure." Was all Riuki said at first, his expression blank. As the group turned to leave he spoke,"I don't get it. If I lost my memory because I went in there." He pointed at the castle behind him. "Then how come you two still have yours?" He looked at Roxas then Naminé.  
"I agree." Riku nodded. "Something isn't right. If he did go into castle oblivion and lost his memory wouldn't we have found him inside. I mean unless he wondered out but that wouldn't of cause him to pass out."

Roxas folded his arms and looked down, thinking. "That didn't make much sense to me either. Since Marluxia's death, the effects of the castle shouldn't be working anymore. The only reason why it worked in the first place was because he was using Naminé before, but she's here with us. And I don't think anyone else had taken over this castle. When we went inside, it looked empty."  
Naminé nodded. "I don't think he lost his memory because he went inside." She said quietly. "But I'm not sure what happened either."  
"Don't worry Riuki, it could come back if you give it time," Kairi reassured him.  
Roxas made a portal and waited.

"Let's go," Sora entered the portal.


	2. Villains of a Sort

**This story is co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht and myself. For images of the characters visit my Deviantart page under the Cavern of Hearts images. **

**::Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters!::**

Angst growled as he sat up in the room he was given at the base.  
"I hate Mondays.." he muttered**.**

"And what's wrong with 'em? I find it a refreshing start to the week.." Jest materialized next to Angst, with a grin on her face. "Hello."  
She walked to the other side of him.  
"Now, what is it you're supposed to be doing again? Because I'm _sure _it doesn't have anything to do with you slacking off..."  
She jumped up into the air and stayed, floating a few feet above the ground. She slightly waved her hand and a moogle doll appeared.

Angst growled at Jest, using small effort to restrain himself from lashing out at her.  
"Shut up," he growled.

"Aw, I'm sorry, did I upset you?" she cooed, stroking her moogle doll. "Keep it together."  
She stood up and started walking down, as if she was going down the stairs until she finally touched the floor. "You're not being very nice, you know."

Angst stood up, approaching her. "Oh I'm sorry, here let me make it up to you!" He quickly lashed out, sending her flying down the hall. "NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Sheesh! That's not how you treat a lady." She pouted. "You're acting like an angst-written teenager." She giggled.

"Like i care," said Angst walking back to his room. "Why am I stuck with you?"

Jest grinned playfully. "Oh, you're not stuck doing anything. Now, if you were a _good _boy, you'd be doing what you were supposed to. Which is...?"

Angst growled, shooting a glare. "Shut up and leave me alone."

"Tsk, tsk. You're in a rotten mood today aren't you? Did you forget your usual post? Or are you just giving up too easily?" She suddenly appeared behind him. "I'm finished here... be good now!" And with that she faded into a mist and was gone.

Angst threw his halberd, just missing Jest. He dismissed the weapon, heading down the hallway.

"Disregarding orders?" A voice said from behind Angst. Passiva walked up to him, no emotion showed on her face.  
"Gather everyone together. It's time we talked." She took a few steps in front of him and vanished in a dark mist.

Angst shrugged then turned to open a portal to get the others. "Why do I have to work with all these girls?" he muttered walking through the portal.

"Hey, we're not girls. He called me a girl.." Lem whined, Lam right beside him. "I don't look like a girl! He picks on us. He's mean."

"Well, well, well.. if it isn't the momma's boys" he said chuckling.  
"Passiva wants to see us go gather the others," he said.

"Why do we have to go do all the work? I never get any time off!" Lam whined.  
Lem nodded. "Hey, wait, he called us momma's boys! We're not momma's boys."

Angst turned down the hall, approaching Jest. "The boss lady wants to see us," He said, opening a portal.

"Well lookie there, someone finally found a job for you," Jest smiled. "And they made sure it was something you were capable of.. 'messenger boy'." Jest grinned. She vanished in a black mist. Seconds later she reappeared in the round room. Half of the tall chairs remained empty, slowly filling as more and more of the group showed up. She slumped down and rested her fist on her chin. The twins reappeared in the chair next to her.  
"Ow! I wanted this chair!" Lam whined.  
"Nu-uh! I came first, this one's mine!" Lem shoved.  
Jest rolled her eyes and the two argued on.

Angst warped to his chair and watched as the twins argued. "Anyone seen Rebel? Couldn't find him."

"Confused isn't here either," Happiness smiled.  
"She probably got lost." Sarcasm added. "She can't even find her way around her room."

"Rebel won't be attending today," Jest said, playing with her moogle doll. "You know how he is."  
Passiva snapped her fingers and Confused appeared through a wispy mist on her chair, with a puzzled expression on her face.  
Passiva sat forward in her chair. The room became silent. "The new possession I have acquired recently, helped sense a potential adversary. The same who prevailed in annihilating the nobodies who previously resided in this very castle."  
Jest looked up, a look of interest appeared on her face. "I've been wanting some new play toys. I'll go and have some fun with them." she said with a sly smile.  
Passiva nodded. "Report back. It is likely they may not be a hindrance in the future."  
Jest pouted slightly then went back to playing with her doll. "No fun at all.." she muttered.  
"Dismissed," Passiva said quietly.


	3. The Next Lead

**:: Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters.**

**This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht and icefire5689. For images of the characters visit the Deviantart gallery of Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven and icefire5689**

The portal opened and the group walked out. Sora clutched his stomach again and groaned. Kairi looked around.  
"It hasn't changed much has it?" Kairi said, looking at all the buildings. Roxas nodded. It was the same as it was in the virtual town as well. The friends he had met, the ones DiZ had put him with, would probably still be around their usual spot. But they wouldn't remember him. They never really met.  
Sora grinned. "Hey, I think I have a good idea of where he is. I'm gonna go check the sandlot and usual spot."  
"We'll come," Kairi followed after him.  
Hayner stood by the entrance of the Usual Spot, throwing darts at the board nailed to the wall.  
"Hey Hayner," Sora said, patting him on the back.  
"_Whoa!_" Hayner jumped. He looked back at Sora and smiled. "Sora, no way!" He gave him a high five. "Hey, and everyone else too!"  
They all waved.  
"So, what are you all doing here?" Hayner asked.

"And why are there two Rikus. I didn't know he had a twin."  
"Alright that's really getting old!" Riku glared as Sora began to laugh again.

"Easy on the twin thing. Riku's been having a fit since he showed up." Sora whispered to Hayner.  
Hayner nodded. "Okay, so what brings you guys here?" he asked.  
"We needed some more help," Sora said. "The King came and said some things weren't going quite right. So we're going to check it out."  
"Can you help us?" Kairi asked.  
Hayner looked at the dart board and frowned. "Well, I do want to help you guys, but honestly, there's not a lot I'd be able to do." He said. "Olette and Pence need me, I can't go without them.. I'm really sorry. But hey- I can keep an eye on things here for ya. I'll let ya know if anythings out of the ordinary."  
"Alright," Roxas nodded.

"We better get going then," Kairi said, putting a hand on Sora's shoulder.  
"Oh, that reminds me. Roxas, can you check out the World That Never Was? The King said that he tried to check it out earlier but he couldn't make it in."  
"Sure," Roxas said. A portal appeared against the wall. He started to walk into it but it seemed to push him back out. He slowly looked back at Sora and shook his head.  
"It won't let me in," Roxas said. "I think something's there."  
Sora turned to Riku. "I think we should go to Hollow Bastion now and check it out there. We could see if Leon or Cloud know about any of this, or if they could help out."  
Riku nodded. Roxas looked back at Hayner.  
"I guess we're heading out then. We'll come back later to visit."  
"Okay," Hayner said. "I'll keep ya posted."  
"Sure," Sora nodded.  
Another portal appeared against the wall and the group stepped through.

Silph looked out over the dusty barren walls of the City of Agrabah. "There's nothing here but sand," she said quietly. She walked over to one of the many towers that overlooked the city and found refuge in the shade. "And it's hot."  
"But you like it heat," came a sly voice from in the shadows. Sarcasm sauntered over to Silph and leaned on the wall beside her. "Isn't that why you tagged along with me?"  
"I tag along because I follow orders," Silph snapped. "What did _they _want?"  
Sarcasm made a face then grinned. "Something interesting," he said mysteriously. He leaned in closer so his face was an inch away from Silph's. "You want to check it out?"  
Silph pushed him away. "I'm not playing your games. If you don't want to tell me, then whatever. Just keep out of my way." She stalked off towards the side of the wall and jumped gracefully off.  
Sarcasm sighed. "Sometimes you're no fun. Too bad Scared isn't here. He's always fun."

Silph wandered around the marketplace pretending to look at the small stalls and their wares. Her mind was buzzing, full of questions. The constant chatter around her wasn't helping her much either. She paused at one stall to buy an apple, then zigzagged back to her hideout. She was careful to make sure Sarcasm wasn't trailing her. He may be her responsibility for the moment, but that didn't mean she had to like him. Plus, he was annoying.  
Ducking her head so as not to hit it on the narrow entrance to her hideout she glanced back behind her. No one there. Good. Inside the fort was dark, but she lit a candle and started looking around. "Critter," she whispered. "Where are you?"  
There was a pause, but then there was movement in the far corner on her bed. A stuffed animal peered at her through glowing yellow eyes and smiled. Silph let out a sigh of relief. "There you are. Come over here."  
Critter maneuvered himself off the bed and made his way to her. He spotted the apple and placed his arm across his chest as if to say, "For me?" Silph laughed and nodded. Critter beamed and took the apple. He popped it in his mouth and chewed contentedly. Silph smiled and scooped him up in her arms. He made her feel better.  
"Things are starting to happen, Critter," Silph said giving him a hug. "You'll be there for me, right?"  
Critter finished chewing then turned towards her and returned her hug as if to say, "I will."  
Silph smiled. She would need Critter's help on this one. No way could she do this alone.

Silph sat at the door to her hideout watching the people pass by at the other end of the alley. Critter was outside exploring. He picked up a rock and looked at it curiously then walked over to her. He lifted it up as high as he could and tilted his head to the side. "For me?" asked Silph. She took the rock with a smile. In her hideout she had a lot of rocks from Critter. She kept them all. It didn't matter how plain they were.  
"It's rare to see you in a good mood," called a voice somewhere from above. Silph cringed. Sarcasm jumped down from a rooftop to land gracefully in front of her. Critter looked up at Sarcasm and frowned. He made his way towards Silph and sat down in her lap waiting patiently.  
"What do you want now?" Silph moaned. "Haven't you bothered me enough already?"  
Sarcasm clutched at his chest and cried, "Ow! Harsh! You're not very nice at all are you." It wasn't a question. Even if it was a question Sarcasm would never be serious about it. "I just thought you'd like to know your new orders."  
Silph looked up at Sarcasm with raised eyebrows. "New orders?" she asked. "What kind of orders?"  
Sarcasm shrugged. "Not a big job. Just something simple." He walked over and planted himself next to Silph. Critter peered up at him questioningly. Sarcasm looked back into his golden yellow eyes and grinned. "You could even bring your little pet here."  
"Critter isn't a pet," said Silph defensively. "He's a friend. Now spit out what you want to say or I'm leaving."  
Sarcasm held up his hands in surrender. "Alright. Calm down. Passiva just wants you to keep an eye on some little kids."  
Silph frowned. "I'm not babysitting. You're bad enough."  
"No, no," said Sarcasm with a laugh. "She just wants you to spy. Make sure they don't cause any trouble." Silph seemed to perk up a bit, but she was still frowning. "Can you do that?"  
Silph nodded. "When and where?"  
"I'll show you the way," said Sarcasm. "We'll leave as soon as you're ready."  
"Alright," said Silph standing up, Critter held against her chest. "I'll leave now."  
"One more thing," said Sarcasm with a grin, "you are not to attack or make contact. Just keep an eye on them and report. They could prove troublesome even for you." Silph didn't answer, but continued to walk forward.


	4. Test

**:: Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters.**

**This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht and icefire5689. For images of the characters visit the Deviantart gallery of Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven and icefire5689. Character design for Silph, Yuki and Amu go to Belladonadarkraven and icefire5689. Do not copy!**

Sora smiled, walking into Hollow Bastion's square. It was exactly as he had remembered it.

"Heey!" Yuffie shouted, rushing down the stairs. Riuki looked horrified as the teenage ninja literally knocked Sora over.

"Sora!" Yuffie said excitedly. She turned to everyone else. "And friends," She added.  
Kairi smiled. "Hello."  
As the portal began to close shut, two figures were spat out of it, landing next to the group. One had long violet hair, with a gold shirt and a jean Capri's covered with zippers. The next girl wore a white hat over her orange hair, which was pulled back into small pigtails. She had a scarf wrapped around her shoulders and flung over her jacket. The first girl looked up at him and giggled, then whispered something to the other.  
"Um, are you okay?" he asked.  
The two girls jumped up, nodding frantically.  
"Did you just come from there?" Roxas asked them, pointing to where his portal had vanished.  
The girl with the violet hair seemed to ignore him and ran straight up to Sora. "Hi! Sorry if I spooked you! We just heard that you needed help, and thought we were a couple of perfect candidates!" Sora and the others just looked at her surprised and a bit curious. Were the two of them even around when they were talking with Hayner? "My name's Amu. And this is Yuki."

Yuki grinned. "Hello! Well, we happened to be walking by when I overheard the him talking to the bunch of you and thought that we could join in. I don't know what it is, but it's gotta be a heck of a lot better then whatever we are doing back there."  
Yuki looked over at Riku then back at Amu. They whispered back and forth to each other and Yuki giggled. Riku turned to Sora with a concerned expression on his face.  
"Fan girls," Yuffie said under her breath.  
"Hey listen," she said cheerfully. "If you want to see the others, you know where to find us! See you!"  
Yuffie ran off toward Merlin's house.  
"Uh- Yuffie wait!" Sora said, looking over Amu, but Yuffie disappeared around the corner. Sora turned back to them in disappointment.  
"So what are your names?" Yuki asked openly. Sora briefly introduced everyone to the two girls.  
"So.. are you two sisters?" Kairi asked.

Yuki laughed. "No! We're just really good friends. Practically grew up together, but anyway.. Where are you all from? I could tell you weren't from around there because of that black spirally thing that swallowed you and that wasn't normal. But I'm saying that you're not normal or anything, it's just I haven't seen anything like that-" (Riku and Roxas looked Sora, giving him the _'I-don't-think-I-could-last-if-they-came-along' _and _'she's-a-chatter-box' _look.) "-so I just figured. So is it okay if we came along? Please? Or just for a little while? We really have nothing to do, it is summer after all. Although I suppose we could entertain each other with movies or something but I'd rather not. But I really don't want to impose either... But I suppose it's decided."  
Sora opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by a female voice, laughing. He looked around and glanced up at the top of a wall. Sitting there was a girl with long blond pigtails, with ribbons tied spiraling around them. She waved and chuckled softly to herself.  
"So _you're _the 'adversary' my boss was talking about? _Please_, you're just a bunch of kids." She said, waving her hand. "But I suppose I can still have fun with you. After all, starting now, you're my new play toys."  
Sora raised an eyebrow and stepped in front of Kairi, defensively. The girl jumped down, landing a few feet from Sora.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners?" She said. "I'm Jest, and I'm here to play."

Roxas and Sora both looked at each other, raising an eyebrow then back to Jest. She stood up on her tiptoes to see over Sora's shoulder.  
"Ah, and you got a new recruit to your group?" she said, looking at Riuki.  
"Hey dummy, we're here to-" Yuki began, being cut short by Amu.  
"Shh!" she whispered to her. "Don't antagonize her!"  
Jest glanced over in their direction. "Well aren't you the outspoken one? Maybe I should just skip the introduction and begin?" Jest circled over to the side of the group.  
Sora and Riku kept an eye on her, not letting her leave their sight. Roxas stepped in front of Naminé. Jest paused and turned to face them with a slight smile on her face.  
Jest ran straight for the group. Sora summoned his keyblade, swinging it at her. Jest jumped up over Sora, avoiding his attack. She jumping off the top of his head and landed behind him.  
"Hey!" he shouted. Jest giggled. Sora rubbed the top of his head and turned around.

Sora and Roxas both charged at Jest. She waited mockingly, looking at her nails then back at them. At the last second, she jumped out of the way giggling. Roxas and Sora collided and groaned. Sora scanned around, angrily, looking for Jest.  
"She's making us look like idiots," Roxas said irritably.  
"That's right!" Jest tapped Roxas on the shoulder.  
He wheeled around and slashed her with both keyblades. She grabbed both blades mid swing and twisted. Roxas heard a small crack and yelled. Both of his keys flew out of his hands and hit the ground. Then disappeared in a ball of light.  
"Roxas!" Naminé rushed to his side.  
"I'm fine," Roxas muttered, rubbing his left hand. He glared at Jest, both keys reappearing. She grinned and disappeared in a dark, faded mist. Jest materialized in front of the group with her hands on her hips. Riku took a step forward, anticipating her next move.

Jest raised an eyebrow. "Are any of you even _trying_? This is hardly the show I expected you to put on- from the ones that brought down the Organization at least..."  
She ran up to Riku and jumped. Midair she turned kicked, aimed for his chest. He quickly brought up his key to block it. She smiled at his success and followed into a secondary attack. Riku continually counted and hit back with each blow she threw at him. Jest reappeared behind him, charging. As he turned around she delivered a blow to his stomach. Riku stepped back, raising his keyblade.

Angst watched the fight continue from above the accessory shop. "Is she even trying?" he muttered. He stood up, jumping down into the square. "Remember not to break 'em."

Jest looked up at Angst and frowned. "Who invited you? Stay out of this, this is my fight!"

As she said that, Sora hit her from behind. She wheeled around and clenched her teeth. "You little brat!" she yelled as she began to charge him. Roxas pointed Oblivion at Jest, a burst of light blasted her back into the wall. She slid down, catching her breath.  
"Look what you made me do!" Jest shrieked at Angst. She stood up, dusting off her skirt. She raised an eyebrow at the group. "Looks like you guys are capable of at least _something _after all. But it doesn't leave me with much to report when I return. You are hardly the trouble."

"Report to who?" Sora asked angrily.  
Jest smiled, "Well, wouldn't you like to know?" She vanished in a black mist.

Roxas dismissed his keyblades. He slumped down to catch his breath then looked up.  
"So that's what we're up against.." He said taking a deep breath.  
Sora shoved his key into the ground and leaned on it. "She was toying with us, did you notice? She didn't seem to be trying."  
"Guess that means we need to keep our guard up," Riku suggested. "It's possible we'll run into her or others later."  
"If she works with anyone," Yuki chimed in.  
Kairi folded her arms and looked down. "She said she was going to 'report'. I guess that means she is working for someone."  
The group went quiet, thinking it through.  
"You're lucky she didn't pay much attention to you," Riku said to Riuki. He nodded slightly.  
"I think it's time to go find Leon or Cloud," Sora said as his keyblade vanished. "We might need their help."  
"Good idea."  
The group headed off toward Merlin's house, Amu and Yuki tagging along in the back.

Silph had seen the end of Jest's fight. She and Critter were crouched low on the roof of a building. She couldn't help but smile when Jest slammed into the wall. Served her right for being such a high and mighty prick. She was just as bad as Sarcasm. She had been surprised to see Angst there. He was such a soloist character and didn't get out much.  
When the two disappeared leaving the group of kids looking around confused she crept closer to see if she could hear anything. She was careful not to be seen and made sure Critter stayed beside her. He could get himself into trouble sometimes. She glanced at him for a moment before settling down to listen to what was being said bellow. Critter smiled up at her and pointed bellow.  
"Yes," she said. "We're supposed to watch them. Be careful, okay?" Critter grinned wide and nodded.

Silph jumped from roof to roof in order to keep up with the group. Her progress was silent and just to make sure he stayed out of trouble she held Critter in her arms. He was getting bored of the situation and seemed ready to wander off. The sudden change in location seemed to keep his interest though. He smiled happily and waved his arms around with each jump. It took some effort to keep from laughing at him on her part.  
As they moved Silph's lips formed a grim line. She had learned very little from that discussion. No names, besides Cloud and Leon. Apparently there were more allies out there for these kids, whoever they were. She'd just have to keep her ears open.

**_So concludes the fourth chapter! Please review!_**


	5. Midgar

**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. This story is co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht and icefire5689. Design for Silph, Yuki and Amu are by Belladonadarkraven and icefire5689. For images, visit Belladonadarkraven or icefire5689's Deviantart page!**

**~ Finally they start their journey on their first world, Midgar (Final Fantasy Advent Children), hoping to find Cloud and gain information. At first we were a little skeptical on whether or not to insert a Final Fantasy world into Kingdom Hearts. Final Fantasy characers do show up throughout the games, but the worlds are all Disney. We decided to get past that and see what happens by adding a world from Final Fantasy VII. Silph continues to follow, keeping her distance all the while, along with a turn of events! Here's the 5****th**** chapter in the Cavern of Hearts series! ^_^**

Jest walked into the meeting room. She glanced up at the empty chairs, only one was occupied. She folded her arms, facing Passiva.  
"You've acquired more information, am I correct?" Passiva said.  
"Yes," Jest said. "The group of kids I was sent to test shouldn't be too much of a handful for us. They are only toys, fighting is child's play."  
Passiva raised an eyebrow. "Really? I received a different report."  
"_Angst_" Jest said under her breath. She clapped her hands together and glanced up. "Well, that was only a small mistake. I assure you it won't happen again."  
"No, it will not.." Passiva leaned to the side of her chair and rested her head against her fist. "Regardless, the entire group should keep a close eye on them when they disembark on their assigned worlds."  
Jest grinned. "Don't worry, I don't intend on going so easy on them the next time."  
Jest turned around and vanished.

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Silph paused on the roof that the kids had disappeared into. Critter sat on the edge swinging his legs back and forth with a contented grin on his face.  
"Well this is boring," Silph said plopping herself down. "It's like I really am babysitting!" In frustration she threw a pebble off the side somewhere into the streets bellow. Critter followed the path of the pebble with his eyes, then stood up. He walked over to Silph and reached up to touch her shoulder. He put an arm across his chest as if to ask if there was anything he could do. Silph smiled. "I don't know," she said. With a sigh she lay on her back with her arms folded behind her head. She looked at the clouds for a moment, then closed her eyes. She could hear muffled voices, but nothing was coherent. She concentrated harder, but still she could hear nothing more than faint murmurs. "I give up, Critter," Silph finally sighed. "We're just going to have to wait until they come back out." She looked over to where Critter was and found him gone.  
Panicked, she raced to the edge of the roof just in time to see Critter make his way over the threshold and into the house. Her heart rocketed out of control. What was Critter thinking? She had to rescue him! Silph was about to jump off the roof when she remembered Sarcasm's words. _"You are not to attack or make contact."_  
Silph took a step back. Her hands were clenched into fists and she was shaking. There was nothing she could do. Critter was on his own from the moment he stepped into the house. She would just have to hope that the kids didn't harm him. If they did, orders or no orders, she would tear them apart.

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Sora pushed open the front door to Merlin's house. There, Cid sat in his usual chair, rapidly typing into a keypad. Probably checking up on the town's defense system. In the back, Yuffie was sitting on Merlin's desk, in a conversation with Leon. She waved her hands around, getting into their conversation. Leon closed his eyes and shook his head. He glanced over Yuffie's shoulder, noticing Sora and the group. "Hey again," He waved.  
Yuffie stopped and turned around. "Hey Sora, you're back!" Yuffie said, leaping off of Merlin's desk.  
"Hello," Sora smiled.  
"So, what brings you here?" Leon asked.  
"We kinda need some help... is Cloud here by chance?"

Leon shook his head. "He's been gone for awhile now. Left for some place called Midgar, but didn't say much else."

Riuki listened to the Leon with no clue as to what he was talking about. "Mid-gar? What's that?"  
"It's our home." Yuffie hopped out of her seat. "Mine, Cid, Cloud, Tifa ,and Aerith's at least." She suddenly grew angry. "Ooh that Cloud! He let both Tifa and Aerith go along but not me. Why just me!"  
"I didn't go" Leon commented on her rant."and neither did Cid."  
"You're not from Midgar, remember?" She glared, mad that she was being interrupted. "And Cid didn't want to go."  
"You go run around and do your sight seeing. Somebody has to stay here and watch the town." Cid said, still typing away on his keypad.

" Home.."Riuki said the word carefully. He felt empty as he tried to remember his. No emotion came to him. It was as if they were being blocked along with the memory.  
"You okay?" Kairi looked at him concerned. "You seem a little out of it."  
"Don't I always?" Riuki sighed. "I guess I can't force my memories back." He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts then looked at Sora. "So what next?"  
"I guess we go to Midgar." Sora answered.

Yuki watched as what appeared to be a Shadow, scramble into the room and squealed. "AAAH! ITS SO CUTE!" She ran over and picked him up, giving him a big hug. "I didn't know you had a pet!"  
Roxas looked at Sora raising an eyebrow and back, not knowing what to make of it. It had the appearance of a Shadow, but in the appearance of a plushie.  
"Um," Sora began, puzzled. It appeared harmless. If it was a heartless it would have attacked by now.  
"I wanna keep him!"  
"Hey listen, how 'bout I show you guys the way?" Yuffie offered, eying the heartless-like being. I used to live there you know."  
"Good idea," Kairi said. "Let's get going guys."  
"What about that?" Roxas asked, pointing at Critter.  
"I guess she's going to bring it along too," Naminé shrugged.  
Roxas sighed and opened up a portal. Yuffie skipped inside and the group followed.

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Silph ducked low when she became aware of the newcomer's presence. Whoever it was went into the house. She hoped Critter would be okay. She bit her lip in frustration and closed her eyes.  
Voices from inside could be heard, and to her surprise she could hear them quite clearly. Unlike her previous attempts, her quarry's discussion came into her ears perfectly clear.  
_"You okay? You seem a little out of it."  
"Don't I always? I guess I can't force my memories back. So what next?"  
"I guess we go to Midgar."_  
Silph opened her eyes and grinned. _Critter you idiot_, she thought warmly. _Just try not to get yourself killed helping me._

Silph had to stifle giggles when she heard the group's reaction to Critter. She was glad for Critter's assistance. He returned a moment later, but was pulled through a portal.  
"I guess that's my cue to get a move on," she said stretching.  
If she didn't go now she risked the chance of losing her prey.

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Yuffie skipped out of the portal and into the open. "Well, this is it!" she said, gesturing to a large city. "Welcome to Midgar."  
There was a wide wasteland behind them. Didn't look like much was out there. Out in the distance was a cliff with a large sword sticking out of the dirt. Not to far ahead was the city. Dark clouds were forming above in the sky.

Critter walked over to Riuki. He hadn't been able to introduce himself yet. It was very rude to grab for someone's hand when they didn't know who you were. At least that's what Silph had told him.  
Once in front of Riuki he looked up in front of him and put his arm across his chest and smiled wide. Then he raised his hands high. Now that he was introduced he could be held, right?  
Yuki squinted and peered ahead. "So, who are we looking for?" she asked, twirling her scarf with her finger.

Riuki stared down at the stuffed creature, completely clueless as to what it wanted. "He want's to be held." Naminé walked over to stand next to him. "See how he's stretching his hands up to you?"  
"Oh." Riuki knelt down and picked it up. "But why me? "  
Suddenly they heard gunshots and what sounded like motorcycles coming from a nearby canyon. Kairi ran to the top of the hill. Coming from the city were three black motorcycles. Each of the riders had silvery hair, clad in black. The lead had medium-length hair while the rider on the left had short hair with what looked like a gauntlet of some sort on his arm. The last rider had long silvery hair contained a gun-blade weapon, stashed on the side of his bike. Kairi motioned for the group to come and see.  
Sora rushed to the top, peering down at the riders below. "Maybe they're going somewhere else. We don't even know if they are the enemy or not so we could just keep going."

Yuffie took one glance at the approaching motorbikes then gathered the group together. She knew who they were and knew not to get these guys involved with them. There was no reason to.  
"We need to get into the city, Cloud should be there. Don't go anywhere _near _those guys," Yuffie pointed. "We don't need any trouble and they aren't worth it. Okay? Follow me."

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Silph had walked off in a hurry, she had to find Critter. The group had split for now. That much she was sure of. It was becoming a real pain to keep tabs on everyone. She wondered if perhaps she should go after Sora's group herself and let Critter handle his half, but decided it best to keep close to her friend.  
The city that she had come to, Midgar, seemed to be a thoroughly depressing sort of town. There were kids everywhere out in the streets. Some were sick, holding makeshift bandages and trying their best to make it through another day. _Orphans_, she thought. There were so many! What had happened here? And why was there no one to make it right?  
Silph cringed and continued following the trail towards Critter. She couldn't do anything right now. This wasn't even her world. Still, she felt responsible somehow. She wanted to save them all.

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Yuffie led the way through the city to a small bar. "This is where they should be." She said opening the door. There was no one inside save for Tifa and a little girl, both washing dishes in the sink. Hearing the door open Tifa tensed up. She whirled around taking a defensive stance.  
"Whoa hey!" Yuffie backed up. "It's just us."

"Oh," Tifa smiled, stepping back to the dishes. "Hey, what brings you guys here?"  
"We're looking for Cloud," Sora said. "Is he here?"  
Tifa stopped scrubbing and threw her rag into the sink. "Hmm... He left awhile ago, haven't seen him since. Sorry, don't know where he is. You can stick around until he comes back if you want?"  
Yuki yawned. "Why don't we go look for him?" she asked.

"Alright," Sora nodded. "that sounds good. We'll go find him then."  
"Cloud's not the easiest guy to find." Yuffie commented. "I'll help."  
"Actually, Yuffie could you stay here? There's something I need to talk to you about."  
Yuffie moaned, pouted, then finally said. "Fine."  
"I'll stay here too." Riuki shrugged. "I don't even know what this Cloud guy looks like and with the way I am now I'll probably just get lost."

"I'm gonna stay too," Yuki yawned. "I'm tired of walking."  
"Me too," Amu agreed and sat down. Yuki sat by her and rested her head on her shoulder, playing with her scarf.  
"Okay then," Kairi said. "We'll be back soon."  
Tifa nodded. "Take care," she said, waving.  
Sora, Riku, Naminé and Kairi started walking out the door. Kairi smiled. "See ya guys later."

Once they were gone Tifa turned to the little girl. "Marlene, could you go up stairs and keep Denzel company."  
"Okay," Marlene nodded and went up stairs.  
" Who's Denzel?" Yuffie asked once Marlene was out of earshot.  
"An orphan that Cloud and Aerith found."  
"Where is Aerith by the way. You didn't say she was with Cloud?"  
Tifa looked at Yuffie, her expression grim. "Aerith..." She struggled for the words. "Aerith is gone, it happened a few weeks ago. Cloud thinks it was Kadaj, that's why he left." A tear rolled down her cheek. "He blames himself because he brought her here and now he won't come back."  
Yuffie had trouble taking this in. "This is what you wanted to tell me? Why not tell Sora and the others? They were friends with her too."  
"I don't want you to get involved," She looked at Yuki and the remainder of the group. "It was the reason I was so edgy when you came in earlier- I thought you were them. Kadaj and his gang came by here a few hours ago. They were asking if I knew where Mother was. When I told them no, one suggested Cloud was hiding her and they left."

Critter listened to the debate and decided it best to stay with his friend Riuki. He listened intently to Tifa's words and walked over to her. He offered his hand to introduce himself then looked down as an apology for her loss, but he looked up again and smiled at her to reassure her that everything would be alright. He was sure Silph would help her somehow when she heard this.

Yuki sat down, tuning the conversation out. She propped herself against the wall, resting her hands on top of her head. "Aah!" she yawned. "I'm bored. Should we go after them and help? Maybe we can catch up? They only left a few minutes ago..."  
Amu shrugged and sat down, beginning to fall asleep.

Suddenly Ruiki fell to the floor his eyes wide.

Yuki perked up. "Hm? Oh!" she rushed over to his side and shook his shoulders. "Hey! You alright? What's wrong?"

"P-pain." He gasped. "It hurts." He rolled onto his side. Right as he did whips of shadow burst out of his leg. He screamed, half out of pain the other out of fear as he tried to scrap the matter off. Slowly the shadows engulfed his body, leaving him in what looked like some sort of anti-form. He stared at the group for a second then broke through the nearest window and ran out of site.

"Uh-oh," Yuki said, eyes wide. "Not good." She threw open the door and skidded outside, followed by Amu who took off behind. Yuki ran back, scooped up Critter and ran after him, shouting his name.

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Silph's head snapped up. Critter was moving. Fast. She wasted no time and began sprinting along a street. She leaped onto a trash bin, then used the base of a window ledge as a foot hold and shot up onto the roof. There were gasps from those who had seen her, but she paid them no heed. The last few glimpses she caught from Critter's memory held something dangerous. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, but she didn't like it at all.


	6. Beyond the Wasteland

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

_**:: :Thank you ForestRunner for your review! We originally planned the story, trying to keep the characters and scenarios as close to the game as possible - Acting almost as a 'Kingdom Hearts 3'. **__**It was difficult switching back and forth between each point of view because so much happens to so many people, but it's all happening at once! **_

_**~Here's the sixth chapter of the Cavern of Hearts story!**_

Sora and Kairi stopped in the opening of an alleyway, taking a quick peek inside. Kairi shivered. The town was so dark. It was completely different then any world she had ever been.

"Should we go back and ask where Cloud might be?" Kairi asked.  
Sora shrugged. "Nah, we don't need directions, we'll find him. I'm pretty sure of that."  
Kairi raised an eyebrow and laughed.  
She glanced up, a quick blur catching her eye. "Yuki!" Kairi cupped her hands together and shouted. "Guys c'mon we need to follow her!"  
They sighed, following behind.

Yuki skidded down the corner, Riuki barely in her view. "Stop!" she yelled, clutching critter close. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. He was moving too fast.

Amu caught up to Yuki. "What happened?"

Yuki panted. "I-don't-know! Let's just catch up."  
She looked up and straightened her hat. Amu nodded and they bolted toward Riuki.

Cloud slammed on the brakes of his motorcycle to dodge yet another bullet from Yazoo only to be attacked from behind by Loz. "Where's mother?" He asked trying to punch him with his tazer-like weapon.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cloud said honestly as he blocked the blow.  
"We know you've hidden her brother." Yazoo rode beside him.

Yazoo aimed his gun-blade at Cloud and shot. Cloud parried and sped ahead. Loz swiped once more but quickly turned to the left. Cloud looked back at Loz the back in front of him. Yazoo rode straight at Cloud and their front tires collided, Yazoo's motorbike almost vertical to Cloud's. He pointed his gun and shot, grazing the side of his face, knocking off his goggles. He kicked off Cloud's front tire and sped behind him.  
Kadaj stood at the top of the hill by his motorcycle, talking on a cell phone. He glanced down at the fight and continued to speak into the phone.  
Cloud sped ahead. Yazoo wheeled his bike around and chased after. From the front of the bike, a dark mist shot out into the ground towards Cloud. Once it was a few feet away, it emerged from the ground in the shape of a dark creature. It lunged at him and he held up his sword to block.

As soon as the creature began to sink its teeth into Clouds arm it burst into smoke. Yazoo and Loz exchanged looks.

Another creature emerged from the ground. Before it could even move a shadowy figure leaped onto it and the monster vanished.  
"Hey! Riuki, what are you doing?" she shielded her eyes from the clouds of dirt forming from the motorcycles taking off. The one with long silvery hair rode right past Yuki and glanced back at her, smirking. She raised her arms to shield her face.

Yazoo rode towards Riuki. "So it was you." He aimed at Riuki's head. Riuki dodged and charged at him. Yazoo was shocked at how fast he was. He raised his hands to shield his head as Riuki threw him off the bike.

Loz stopped the motorcycle, "Brother!"

Yuki froze as the bike fell off-balance and spun right by her, it's rider being thrown off by Riuki. Her eyes went wide.  
"Riuki! What are you DOING? Stop it!"  
Cloud skidded his motorcycle to a stop and looked back. Loz was heading back to Yazoo. He revved his engine and took off after him, adding another piece onto his sword.

Cloud looked ahead, watching as the motorcycle drew nearer, a girl standing in its path. He jump off the motorcycle, cutting the oncoming one in half. He stood up, adjusting his sword. "You better get out of here."

Yuki seemed too stunned to move. She stared, dazed at the fight.  
An engine sounded louder and Cloud turned. Loz sped past, taking a swipe at Cloud as he passed. Cloud ducked and swung his sword, narrowly missing him.  
"Hey!" he shouted again to Yuki. She jumped and blinked.  
"Huh, wha-? Oh!" she shook her head.  
"You need to get out of here," Cloud told her again.  
"No! That's my friend right there!" she shouted pointing at Riuki.

Cloud watched the heartless-like creature. "That?"

"Yes! But he doesn't really usually look like that. I don't know what happened to him, but i need to stop him before he hurts someone!" she yelled, running back into the fight.  
"Riuki, cut it out!" she caught up to him and hugged onto his arm. "Please!"

Riuki paused, looking down at her. Yazoo took this opportunity and slashed at Riuki with his gun-blade. Riuki's attention quickly turned to Yazoo, blocking with his free arm and seizing him the other -Yuki still clinging to it. His gaze shifted back to Yazoo as he began to tighten his grip.

Yuki's eyes widened. She looked at Riuki.  
"What are you doing?" she screamed. Yuki tried to jerk his arm away to free the grip on the stranger. _Why was he doing this?_  
She continued to cling on. Amu, finally catching up rushed over toward Yuki but was blocked by Cloud's arm.  
"Stay here," he told her, moving forward.  
"But-" she started. Amu stared at the struggle with a horrified expression. He was right, but Yuki had to get out too.

Yazoo struggled to free himself from the creature's grip as it continued to tighten.

Yuki released Riuki's arm and her eyes narrowed. "Okay, fine, you kinda deserve this." She raised her hand up in the air and a long mallet-like weapon, just a few inches smaller than she is, appeared in her hand. She made an apologetic look on her face then smacked the back of his head. He fell down.  
The hammer vanished and she went over to Yazoo. He lay motionless. Yuki looked horrified. His body began to fade until it vanished completely. She slowly turned to Riuki.  
Loz clenched his fists. "You-!"  
Up on the hill Kadaj raised his hand and Loz groaned. He jumped back on his bike and sped toward the hill. Kadaj looked down at the group once more then took off on his motorcycle.

Slowly the shadow crept down back to his leg then vanished, leaving a normal, unconscious Riuki.

Roxas caught up to Amu as soon as Loz had drove off. They all took a minute to catch their breaths. Yuki hugged critter while Sora and Roxas went over to examine Riuki. Critter hugged Yuki back as a thank you for taking him with her. Silph would be happy with this information. Riuki was a good friend too. He was strange, just like he was. Just like Silph was. Strange friends should stick together.  
"What happened here?" Roxas asked kneeling down by Riuki.  
"Well," Yuki said, peeking over Critter. "Riuki turned into this black form thing and darted off! He jumped through a window so we decided to follow him- right Amu? Anyway, we ran and ran and ran until he came all the way out here! This guy-" (she pointed to Cloud)"-was being chased by these two guys on motorcycles and wouldn't leave him alone! This wolf-thingy came out of the ground to kill him, but Riuki got rid of it instead!"  
She hugged Critter again and sighed staring off in space.  
Maybe she wasn't the right person to ask after all.  
Amu decided to finish for her. "When I came he destroyed the one with the long silver hair and the others rode off after."

"Cloud!" Sora smiled, realizing he was there. "We wanted to ask you something."  
Cloud walked over to his motorcycle and placed his sword in its hold. "Yeah?"  
"The King came and told us something's up so we're supposed to look into it. For some reason we can't get into the World that Never Was. We think something might be there now."  
Cloud went silent then turned around. "Isn't that where the Organization was not too long ago?"  
Sora nodded. "Yeah, do you think they're back?"  
"No, I don't think that's the case. Leon sounded sure you guys got rid of them."  
"Hey Cloud, do you think you could come help us find out?"  
Cloud sighed. "No. There's still a lot I have to take care of."  
_Aerith. _Sora looked down. Tifa had mentioned something had happened to her once she returned home from Hollow Bastion. That's why Cloud had left.  
"But I'll let you know if I find something, alright?" Cloud got onto the motorcycle and revved the engine.  
"Sure," Sora nodded. "Can we help?"  
"Not really," Cloud said. "I'm going to go check back on something. Meet you guys later."  
"Okay," Sora said. He knew Cloud would object to helping out. He liked to do things on his own, but that was understandable. He would do the same if something happened to Kairi or one of his friends too.  
Cloud rode off toward the direction where the other two men on the motorcycles disappeared to.  
Sora heaved a sigh. "We better head back. Riku, can you take your twin?"  
Riku narrowed his eyes at Sora then walked over to pick up Riuki.  
"Let's get going," Kairi said.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Silph sighed in relief. Critter was definitely in the danger zone. There was no mistaking that. At least she had caught up to the group. The information she was getting also proved to be very useful. She would keep watching from a distance.

_**That's all for now! Posting more tomorrow!**_


	7. To the Forbidden City

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

"Stop crying Loz." Kadaj almost glared from irritation.  
"But our brother. That thing murdered our brother." Loz sobbed.  
"Don't worry," Kadaj reached into his pocket and pulling out a yellow orb. "We'll get our revenge."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Roxas reached into his pocket, taking out the small red marble they had found in Castle Oblivion. He repeatedly tossed it in the air and catching it as they walked along the road.  
"Hey is there really a use to this?" Roxas asked

"We'll worry about that later. Right now we should head back to Tifa's place and see if we can find out just what happened to Riuki," Sora instructed.  
"This feels awkward," Riku muttered, heading over to get Riuki.

"I guess I could try.. but I don't want to drag him," Kairi said thoughtfully.  
"It's fine," Riku said.  
Sora rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to pass up this opportunity.  
"Hey Riku, you're right. That would just be plain awkward. No worries, I can," Sora started to bend down to pick him up.  
Riku raised an eyebrow. "I've got it."  
"No, I insist."  
Roxas starred in disbelief. They weren't trying to show off, were they? Roxas heaved a sigh and placed the small marble in his pocket. He passed between Sora and Riku, picked up Riuki and flung him over his shoulder.  
"Okay, let's go," he said, passing back between them again.  
Sora turned red. Kairi and Naminé giggled as they began to walk back toward the city. Riku grinned at Sora and followed behind the group.

Yuki pushed the door open, stepping outside. "He's still out cold," she frowned.  
"Is he alright?" Kairi asked.  
"He should be fine," Roxas said.  
"Sheesh Yuki, how hard did you hit 'em?" Amu put her hand on her hips.  
"Uh, not sure," she said timidly. "I don't do that often... and I didn't hit him that hard." Amu giggled.

Tifa came back into the room and began to finish cleaning up the shards of glass from the broken window. Yuffie followed behind her and jumped up onto the counter with a drink and sat down.  
"Cloud hasn't come back yet," Yuffie said taking a small sip. "I think I'm going to go out and look for him."  
"He said he'd come back," Sora protested.  
Yuffie set her glass down, jumped down from the counter and stretched. "I know, I'll just go and get some fresh air then. See you guys later!"  
They said "good-bye" and she left out the door.  
"I'm going back up the stairs to check on Denzel. Be right back," Tifa said, dumping the remaining shards in a bin.  
"Okay," Sora nodded.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Loz began to walk to the edge of the city when his cellphone rang. "Any signs of our friends?" Kadaj voice asked when Loz answered.  
"Cloud isn't showing himself and there's no sign of that shadow thing but I did find something interesting." Loz looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I followed that girl we ran into while chasing Cloud. She seems to be traveling with a group of friends. In the group there are two boys that look like us although they seem a little young to be soldiers."

"So you found more brothers then? That is interesting." Kadaj smirked.  
"Do you want me to bring them over?"  
"No. You focus on Cloud right now. I'll handle the rest."  
"This would be easier if Yazoo was still around."  
"Don't cry Loz," Kadaj hung up.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Yuki frowned and stood up. "This is getting ridiculous! Someone wack him or something. We should be out side kicking bad guy butt like u guys did at that other place!"  
"Um, I don't think you guys should get involved with that," Sora said.  
She pouted and slumped back down. Roxas spun the marble on the floor and watched it, bored. Yuffie came back down the stairs and smiled at everyone.  
"Well, I'm off!" she smiled, waving at them. "Got other things to do, see you guys later, okay?"  
"Alright, see you," Sora nodded.  
She called back up to Tifa once again, saying "good-bye" and left.  
Outside, they could hear the faint noise of a motorcycle coming down the road.  
"Hey, Cloud's back," Sora grinned.

Hearing that Tifa ran down the stairs and swung open the door to great him.

Tifa gasped. "Hey-" she started, her tone of voice sounded worried. She ducked and a double-bladed sword swung over her head, sinking into the side of the doorway. She threw a punch at the attacker, but they grabbed her arm and jerked her outside. Sora stood up, getting ready. The person grabbed the sword out of the doorway and walked in, locking the door behind them.  
"It's one of the guys from before, you know, on the motorcycle," Kairi whispered to Sora.

Riku held out his hand to summon his keyblade but stopped when a sharp pain rushed threw his arm. He cradled his arm looking at the strange rash-like gash on his arm.  
"It looks like you got the stigma." Kadaj smirked.

"Look Riku, our first mission and you've already got sick," Sora chuckled slightly.  
Kairi shoved Sora's arm and gave him the "watch-it" look. He turned back to Kadaj and summoned his keyblade. Roxas stood up, summoning oblivion and Oath Keeper.  
Kadaj laughed. "I'm not interested in fighting a bunch of kids," he smirked.  
Sora clenched a fist. "What was that? We can take you-"  
"Sora don't antagonize him!" Kairi whispered.  
Kadaj took a step forward. "Alright, fine."

Sora ran forward and swung his keyblade. Kadaj moved slightly to the left, avoiding the blow, and countered back, hitting Sora in the back of the head with the bottom of his sword. He fell unconscious.  
"Sora!" Roxas called as Sora fell. He took a step back and threw Oblivion at Kadaj, who avoided it again. The blade stuck in the back of the wall again and re-appeared in Roxas's hand in a flash of light.  
Kadaj lowered his sword and raised his left hand. In it was a small marble that pulsed yellow. There was a flash and a bolt of lightning shot out of it and hit Roxas. He flew back a few feet and crashed into the wall behind him. Namine rushed up and helped him up.  
Roxas rubbed his shoulder. "Hey, so that's what it does," he said, taking out his red marble. He raised it in Kadaj's direction but nothing happened. Kadaj rushed forward and punched Roxas in the stomach. He then turned toward Namine.

Roxas clutched his stomach and groaned. Namine's eyes widened. She backed up against the wall looking for help. Kadaj swung his blade but met a keyblade. Roxas pushed Kadaj's blade out of the way.  
"Go," he told Namine, motioning toward the rest of the group.

"I don't think so!" Kadaj shouted summoning more lightning. A bolt hit Namine and she fell to the floor, still concious but unable to move. "Now let's try this again." He hit Roxas again in the stomach but this time with the hilt of his sword. Roxas crumbled to the floor. Kairi stood in shock as they both collapsed.

"What do you want?" Kairi asked, taking a step back toward Riuki.

Riku stood in front of the group of girls, holding his keyblade out. Yuki squealed causing Riku to jump slightly.  
"Sorry!" she apologized. Kairi shook her head.

Riku took a defensive stance as Kadaj focused on him. He whinced as his arm began to fill again with pain. "If you really want to protect your friends," Kadaj lowered his sword and held out his hand. "then come with me. You're the one I want, you and him." He looked down at Ruiki. If you come now I won't hurt you or your friends. What do you say, brother?"

"Brother?" Riku was puzzled. _This guys is crazy._ What was he talking about? He looked around at his friends and thought about it. If anything were to happen, they would come, or he could think of a strategy of his own if necessary.  
Riku gave a slight nod. "Fine," he said.  
"Riku!" Kairi protested.  
"Stay here and help them. They'll know what to do once they are all conscious." he smiled. Kairi understood and took a step back.  
"Excellent," Kadaj sheathed his sword. "Grab him and come."  
Riku walked over and picked up Riuki and followed out the door. _Good luck,_ Kairi mouthed, as the door shut behind them.

"What should we do now?" Yuki sat up and put her hands on her hips. "We need to go get them back somehow, right?"

"We'll all help," Kairi said.  
Sora began to stir and she rushed over to him. He sat up and rubbed the back of his head.  
"Ow," he groaned. "Hey," he looked over at Namine and Roxas, noticing that Riku and Riuki were gone. "What happened to Riku?"

"They were kidnapped by that guy," Yuki told him.

"Oh.." Sora glanced around. "Everyone else okay?"

"Looks like you guys had some trouble," A red-headed man commented leaning against the door frame. "I knew we might be late but I never expected you to get your butts kicked so easily."  
"Like we're any better," A tall man in a dark suit walked in, an unconcious Cloud leaning against his shoulder.

"There's no need to be rude," He grinned at his partner. "Anyway, we were considering assisting them, right?"

"You know where they are, don't you?" Kairi looked up.

"Of course."

"So what are we waiting for?" Yuki huffed.

"Cloud to wake up," The red-head almost laughed. "He got his butt kicked, same time as you."

A small girl came down the stairs and paused at the scene.  
"Cloud!" she cried, running up to him. "What's going on?" She asked looking around for anyone to answer. "Where's Tifa?"  
Everyone was silent.  
"Where _is_ Tifa?" Sora asked.

"I knew I was forgetting something," the red-head walked back outside and disappeared from the doorway. He walked back through carrying Tifa, unconscious.

Roxas groaned and sat up, clutching his stomach. "Ow... where'd he go? Who are they?"

"Well that's Rude," he said pointing at his partner. He nodded. "And I'm Reno."  
Cloud sat up. "Tifa," he went over to her side. "Kadaj?" he asked Reno.

"He's at the Forbbidon City."

"Fine, let's go," Cloud stood up and headed for the door.  
"Hey hold up," Sora put a hand on Cloud's shoulder to stop him. "We're going to come too."  
"No way, it's too dangerous."  
"You got knocked out by him too," Sora added. Cloud paused. "And we have friends there, so we have a reason to go."  
Reno folded his arms. "He has a point."  
Cloud was silent. "Fine," he said quietly. "But we will need some to stay here to keep watch of these guys, Marline and Denzel."  
"I'll stay and help watch," Kairi volunteered. "I'll watch them and Namine."  
"Me too," Amu added.  
"Alright sounds good," Reno smiled. "You guys better get going."  
They followed Cloud out the door and to the forbidden city.


	8. Orders

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

Passiva sat in her chair. Her eyes showing some frustration. The group had been separated and Silph wasn't obeying orders. It wasn't the first time, but with things progressing as they were, there was no risking any more complications. "Sarcasm," She called , monotone. Sarcasm appeared instantly. "Get rid of her." She ordered, referring to Silph. "She's complicating our plans."

"Interesting," said Sarcasm at Passiva's words. "You had me thinking she was an important asset, and from what I have seen the information we're getting back has been good. Have a sudden change of heart?" He smirked, clearly thinking that something much deeper was going on. "She has taken care of the group splitting up too. Her pet seems to play a part in that. Still, if you want her dead, I guess it can't be helped. It's a pitty. I kind of liked her too."  
With a shrug Sarcasm disappeared.

Passiva leaned back, resting her head against her fist. The kids were still a nuisance, but it was only a matter of time until they were taken care of. That is, if they caused any trouble. Jest kept joking about how childish the group was and to let it all go, while other members wanted their share of the fun. Love walked into the room. She wore her long pink dress with the red boots. Her pink hair was partly pulled up neatly by a single ribbon.

"The area has been surveyed," Love reported. "And everything is set."  
"Good," Passiva sat up in her chair. "Be certain all the preparations are ready for when the time comes. There is still enough to do for the others. You are dismissed."  
Love smiled happily and vanished in a wisp of pink mist.

**_This turned out to be shorter than usual XD The next chapter will be posted later today!_**


	9. Kadaj

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. **__**For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_ Credit to Kadaj's dialog goes to **Square**_** in **_**Final Fantasy Advent Children**_**. **_

_**~ This chapter in particular was difficult to edit. All the posts we made were extremely difficult to put back together in an order that would make sense in story format. **__**Oh well, here's chapter 9!**_

Silph watched the scene play out through the window. She motioned for Critter to go back to the group and headed out front. There she waited for Kadaj and when he came out with two boys following behind him she sighed. _Fine_, she thought. At this point her mission might be considered a failure. At least the part about not interfering. _Whatever,_ she grinned. _Screw you Sarcasm_.  
"So I take it you're Kadaj?" said Silph with a curt bow. "What an honor. You seem to be busy at the moment. Maybe I should come back later?"

"I have no business with you now," He got on his bike. "Come on," he motioned to Riku.

Riku hesitated and took a step back. "Why should we go with you?"

"We had a deal. Or do you really think you'll be able to protect your friend right now?" Kadaj smirked placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What do you want us for?"

"You'll learn soon enough," He nodded to Silph, driving off.

Silph watched Kadaj leave then waited for a moment. After a few seconds she began following the tracks left behind by the bike. She took it slowly, not wanting to meet up with Kadaj quite yet. She'd wait until he came to her. For the time being she'd keep a safe distance behind them.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

The ride was silent. They began to go through a small pass in what seemed to be a forest, only the trees appeared to be a crystal white. The bike stopped at the edge of a large pond with some sort of structure on the other side. Kadaj dismounted and Riku followed, carrying Riuki. Riku followed Kadaj around a small pool of water to a tall structure on the other side. Behind him sat a group of children all had the same rash like Riku. Waiting at the base of a tall, stone structure sat Loz. He stood up as Kadaj approached. "They're all here."

"Let's begin then," Kadaj said.  
Riku carefully set Riuki down as his arm began to feel a sharp pain go through again. He clutched his arm. "Begin what?"

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Silph made her way through the trees. She looked around at them, wondering why they were so white. They glowed too and it gave her a sense of comfort. Her eyes, which had been blazing red throughout her journey faded to pools of white. For the first time, in a long time, she was calm. She closed her eyes and breathed in with relief. When was the last time she had felt like this?  
She heard the sound of a motor and turned around. There in a clearing was some of the group. She took one last look at the trees, sighed as her eyes fell back into the color of crimson embers, and began sneaking along after them. Being a spy was so degrading. When her chance came, she'd kill Sarcasm, and anyone else who got in her way.

The group reached the forest with the white trees. Cloud stopped his motorcycle, leaving it in the clearing.  
"The path is blocked right here. We'll continue by foot," Cloud told them.  
He grabbed his sword out of it's compartment on the bike and continued down the path.  
Sora shrugged. "Okay.."  
"Shh!" Yuki put a finger to her lips. She peered around the tree. "Look," she pointed.

Ahead the trees parted into another clearing. A tall stone structure stood behind a small pool of water, Kadaj standing in front.  
Riuki groaned as he opened an eye. "What happened?" He rubbed his head.  
"They showed up back in the city. We need to get out of here." Riku said looking over his shoulder at Kadaj.

Kadaj took a step closer to the pool of water, facing the kids. "Mother has given me a special power. The power to fight against a planet, that torments its people.-" (Riku hunched down by Riuki. "Let's get going," he whispered. Riuki nodded in response.) "-She gave this power to all her children. You and I are brethren." Kadaj turned around and started walking toward the sculpture. "Brothers and sisters, chosen when we were inherited to Mother's mimetic legacy through the Life Stream. But.." He turned around.  
"The planet doesn't like that. It's trying to hold us back. That's why-" (He pointed to the children) "It's racking out bodies with pain, and filling our hearts with doubt." He put his arm down and tilted his head slightly to the left. "I will heal you. Then we will go to Mother."  
Riuki got up and Riku helped him walk over behind the statue. He glanced back and looked at Kadaj with a confused expression.  
"Then we will join as a family and strike back at the planet!"

"Riku!" Sora whispered from behind. "Bring Riuki, let's get you guys outta here."  
Loz appeared behind Sora, restraining his hands behind his back in a firm hold. He adjusted his gauntlet and disappeared in a flash of blue right, reappearing from behind. He grinned and pinning Sora against the tree. The tips of the gauntlet jutted out, narrowly missing him. Electricity seared out of the point that hit the tree and cracked the white tree in half. Loz looked up as the branches began to fall down, and jumped out of the way. Sora jumped out of the tree, the top half of the tree slamming down on the branch he was. He landed next to the water's edge and stood up.

Riku turned to Riuki. "C'mon, this is our chance."  
The two of them made it behind the statue and stopped, glancing around for anyone else.  
_Where are they?_ Riku thought. Just then a searing pain jolted up his arm. He clenched his teeth and clutched his arm, waiting for it to stop.  
"Are you ok?" Riuki asked, still unsure about what was going on.

Silph watched the fighting with little interest. Her group was hanging back to her right, while Riuki and Riku were hiding on her left. She noticed Riku flinch and went over to investigate. He was bent over his arm and she noticed what looked like a black rash going from his wrist to his shoulder. She sighed, drawing nearer. "Stay away from the pool," she whispered. "Your friends are on your right. Circle this place until you find them." She wasn't sure if what she was doing was right, but if Passiva had wanted these kids dead she would have ordered her to kill them in the first place. There must obviously be some motivation to keep them alive.

"What?" Riku looked around. No one was there, but whoever said it was right. They were too close to them still, they needed to get out of there. He tapped Riuki and gestured for him to follow. They creeped back around the statue to the other side and went for cover in the woods. "Get down," He told Riuki and he sat back behind one of the trees. He listened in on the fighting by the pool. There was a snap of a twig, followed by voices whispering "shh!".  
"Well sOorrY!" Yuki frowned. "Just wanted to get a better look. Look!" Yuki whispered, tapping Roxas on the shoulder and pointing. "It's Riku and Riuki."  
"Ok, let's try to get their attention."  
She looked around for something to throw. "Can I see that marble you have?"  
"You're not throwing that."  
She searched the ground, picking up a small pebble. "Here," she placed it in his hand.  
He aimed at the tree, just above Riku's head and threw it. It bounced off the bark and landed in his lap. He glanced up, seeing Roxas waving.  
Riku and Riuki made it back the the group and slumped down against the fallen log they were hiding behind.  
"Can we go in now?" Yuki asked Cloud.  
Cloud didn't seem to be listening. He secured a part of his sword, fixing it up as if preparing to go in.

Loz grinned and punched at the ground, a wave of dirt shooting up toward Sora.  
Kadaj watched the fight, somewhat amused. "You see-" his sentence cut short as he realized the two boys were no longer there. He wheeled around to Loz. "Where are they?" Loz didn't reply, engaged in his fight. Kadaj looked back at the children. "Do as I do." He said, cupping his hands and placing them in the black water. He then scooped up some and drank the liquid. To the group's surprise they listened and copied. "Now, go find our brothers. Cloud should be here too."

Roxas looked at Riku. "I think he means you two, let's get out. Cloud, you ready?"  
Cloud slid the final part of his sword into place and stood up. "I'm not going," he said.  
"The kids," Yuki said softly. "We still need to help them.."  
Roxas nodded. "Kay."  
They all got up. Riku stayed back with Riuki, Yuki followed Roxas and while Cloud walked straight forward.

Sora grinned as the group approached. "I'm not going to get my butt kicked three times in a row."  
"Sounds like you've been slacking." Cloud commented rushing ahead towards Loz. Sora stepped aside, letting Cloud into the fight.  
Loz swung his gauntlet at Cloud. "So there you are," he grinned. Cloud ignored him and countered.

Yuki and Roxas made it to the right of the statue. They crouched down behind a bush.  
"Why are we stopping?" Yuki pouted. "They are actually doing something, why can't we?"  
"Shh! Hold on I'm trying to figure something out first."  
Yuki stuck her tongue out at him and stood up. "Whatever," she ignore him. "Hey you!" she pointed at Kadaj. "Sick-o, I'll smack some sense into ya!"  
Roxas slapped his hand to his forehead. "What are you doing?" he yanked her back down. "STAY put."  
"Fine," She folded her arms, peering over at the fight.

Loz appeared from behind, stabbing his gauntlet into a tree that separated them. Electricity surged from the gauntlet, shattering it like glass. Sora dodged the shards while Cloud rushed through them head on. He raised his sword, meeting Loz once again. Loz punched and disappeared as Cloud blocked his hit. "There!" Sora pointed to the branch above. Cloud kicked off the trunk of the shattered tree, landing on top of the large branch. Loz swung his gauntlet once more, aimed for Cloud's head. Cloud slightly turned, narrowly avoiding his blow and thrust his sword into Loz. Loz stood in shock as Cloud withdrew his sword. His body faded, vanishing completely. Cloud jumped down from the tree, turning his attention to Kadaj.

Kadaj clenched his teeth as the group surrounded him. "Fine," He smirked and suddenly the children dropped down beside him. "I'll retreat for now." He held out his arm, a glowing orb could be seen inside it. The glow grew brighter and brighter until it ingulfed the area. The group sheilded their eyes until the light faded and both Kadaj and the kids were gone.  
Riuki, helping Riku made his way over to the group. "I can't do much can I? Sorry I'm no good in a fight."  
"It's fine, you're doing great," Sora told him. He turned to Cloud. "Where do you think he went?"  
Cloud paused. "Not sure."  
"Who was that anyway?"  
"Kadaj," Cloud got on his motorcycle. "I'll check up on Tifa."  
Sora nodded, "Okay, we'll meet you there." Cloud got on his motorcycle and rode off. A portal opened and the group filed inside.

They walked into the front room, where Kairi was waiting with Namine and Amu.

"You're back, how'd it go?" Kairi asked.  
"We got them back," Sora pointed at Riku and Riuki.  
"Welcome back," Kairi laughed.  
Cloud arrived outside and came in. Sora pointed upstairs, figuring he was looking for Tifa, and Cloud followed that direction.  
"What were they after?" Namine asked quietly.  
"...I'm not sure, it didn't make much sense," Riku shook his head.  
Critter walked over to Riuki and hugged his leg. Then held up his arms to be picked up. Riuki did as Critter wanted as he looked to the group. "I'm still very confused. What happened? I remember being in pain before passing out but those guys weren't around then."  
Sora opened his mouth to talk, attempting to beat Yuki to it so that they would get the run-down version. But she was too quick.  
"Well," Yuki started. Everyone groaned, but she continued on. She filled him in on all the details, beginning with when he turned into a creature and defeating Yazoo, to when the two had been kidnapped.  
She finally drew to an end, "And that's why you were there with those weirdo's instead of here, and probably why you were aching so bad."  
"You hit me with a hammer?" Ruiki felt the back of his head, finding a large bump. He slumped down against the wall as he grasped the thought of him becoming a monster and killing someone. He hugged Critter, growing both scared and depressed.  
"Nothing personal, it just worked," Yuki sat down.  
Kairi walked over to him and squat down at his level. "Hey, it's alright. You're okay now," she smiled.  
"What do we do now?" Sora asked. "He probably still has all those kids with him, we need to let them go."  
Riku stood up. "We might not have to go find him ourselves."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well," Riku said. "Two of the guys he was with are now gone-"  
"So he might come back," Sora interrupted.  
"Sure."  
"Great," Roxas added, walking over to Namine.  
"So we wait it out?" Yuki frowned. "That's lame."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Silph was leaning against a wall listening to the conversation. "You're telling me," she said. She was getting nowhere staying here.  
"Telling you what?" said a familiar sarcastic voice.  
Silph's hands formed into fists. "Sarcasm, what are you doing here?" She looked over to where he was standing across the alley. He walked over and leaned in so their eyes were level.  
"Not much," he said. "Just checking up on you."  
"No need for that," said Silph ducking around him. "I'm doing fine."  
Sarcasm grabbed her hand and spun her around. He caught her in a vice-like embrace and looked down into her flaming red eyes. "Not from where I'm standing." He grinned as Silph began to struggle. "You're in trouble," he said.  
Silph stopped to look at him. His face was oddly serious. "What?" she asked.  
"You'll be fine though," he grinned. "You're strong enough. It's okay if it's you." He seemed to hesitate, but then he leaned down and gently kissed her. Silph was lost for words. Sarcasm? Had he finally snapped?  
Sarcasm released her and began walking away. He turned halfway back at the mouth of the alley and laughed. "How long are you going to stand there? Cat got your tongue? Or was that just me?"  
Silph seemed to snap out of shock at his words and suddenly flared with anger. Heartbreaker appeared in her hand and she rushed at Sarcasm with a vengeful fury. "I'll kill you for that!" she hissed.  
"That's my girl," said Sarcasm before disappearing into a mist of darkness.  
Silph threw Heartbreaker at the spot where he had vanished. It flew into the street, then reappeared in her hand. She slumped down onto the ground shaking. What was that? And why had Sarcasm really come here? What was going on?

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Sora folded his arms and put his head down. _There really wasn't too much to do,_ he thought to himself. _They're back and everyone is safe and accounted for. So.. all there is to do now is to find Kadaj. Sounds like a plan._  
"Hey guys," Sora looked around to make sure they were paying attention. "I need a few people to come with me, and the rest to stay here to make sure everyone's safe. Who's in?"  
They blinked.  
"Where are you going?" Amu asked.  
"You'll see. Riku, Roxas, follow me."  
"Me too," Yuki followed.  
"Can I?" Kairi asked.  
Sora counted off everyone individually. He looked at her and slowly shook his head. "Too many, sorry."  
"Alright... can we know now?"  
"He wants to go after Kadaj," Riku figured.  
She looked disappointed, then nodded. "Alright. Be careful."  
Sora gave a thumbs up. "We will. Be back soon," he smiled.  
A large crashing sound thundered from outside, followed by a series of yells.  
"What was_ that_?" Yuki said, rushing to the window.  
"Don't gawk at it, c'mon!" Sora yelled, dashing across the room and out the door.


	10. One Winged Angel

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

Silph heard the crash and stood. No time to be mad at Sarcasm right now. She began to run towards the chaos.

They rushed toward the direction others were running from, until they arrived in a large open area of street with a large monument in the center. Around it were the kids they had seen at the Forbidden City, but they appeared to be unconscious. Spread around the monument were several of the large black creatures that they had seen before. Many people scattered, attempting to escape with one of the kids or fleeing from the scene.  
"Look!" Yuki pointed to the left.  
At the beginning of one of the streets was Kadaj holding what looked like some sort of a small black box. He looked back at them, grinned, then took off on his motorcycle. Yuki began to rush after him but Riku grabbed her shoulder.  
"No time now," Riku said summoning his keyblade. "We need to take care of this place first."  
Sora ran toward the monument. "Roxas, you go that way. You and Yuki help them get out, Riku and I are going to get rid of those things."  
"Shouldn't we get Cloud too? He's after that guy," Yuki yelled over to Sora.  
"No need, here he comes," he motioned behind her.  
They could hear the rumbling of a motorcycle coming from down the street. Cloud came up the street and stopped, trying to see what was going on. He spotted Sora out of all the panic.  
"What happened?" Cloud yelled. "We could hear noises from Tifa's,"  
Sora blocked one of the creatures and ran up to Cloud. "Not sure, but that guy left just as we came. He had something in his hands-"  
"Which way did he go?" Cloud interrupted.  
Sora pointed. "He took off down there."  
Cloud nodded and revved the engine. "Take care of things here," he told him, then followed down the road.  
"Okay."

Silph stood at the mouth of an alleyway stunned. People were running everywhere screaming. Shadow hounds prowled the area attacking people at random. Her group was standing on the other side of the square gawking at something. She looked toward whatever it was.

A shadow hound lept straight behind Sora. It let out a low growl and swiped at him with one of its large claws. Sora heard the noise and wheeled around, leaving him no reaction time. It hit him full on and pinned him to the ground. Yuki screamed for Riku's attention and pointed at Sora. Its ears flickered toward the direction of the scream and turned its head. While it was momentarily preoccupied Sora struggled to get out of its grip. The creature looked at him and snarled.  
"Close your eyes!" a voice shouted to Sora. Sora obeyed and shielded his eyes with his arm. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a flash of bright light that shot straight at the beast. It released him from its grip and let out a strange growl while tossing its head, as if shaking something off. It immediately turned to Sora, angry. He backed up and held his keyblade ready.  
Riku ran toward it and threw his keyblade at the creature. It vanished in a cloud of black smoke.  
Sora stood up from his stance. "What did you do?"  
"That was Roxas," Riku's keyblade reappearing in his hand. "There's only one more of those things left, and everyone else has got out safely."  
Sora followed Riku to the last creature. They passed Riuki helping Yuki carry a child over to safety and stopped by the statue, the creature only a few yards away. Sora and Riku simultaneously charged at it, then went separate ways. Riku ducked as it swung at him. Sora jumped from behind, slashing down on it with his keyblade. It disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.  
"That's the last of them," Sora sighed.  
Riuki, Yuki and Roxas ran up to meet them.  
"Everyone's A-okay," Yuki smiled, then slumped down to catch her breath.  
"Good.." Riku said, looking around at the damage.  
"We should find Cloud," Sora said.  
"Okay, you lead," Riku said.  
Sora darted down the street where Cloud had left.

Silph was about to go after the group when a roar sounded from above. She looked up, wondering what in the world could have made such a noise. Her eyes fell upon a huge winged beast. It flew like a bird, but had the face of a stone demon. She took one last look towards the direction the group had disappeared to then sighed. "Alright," she said. "I'll play with you."  
Heartbreaker appeared in her hand and she ran towards the center of the square. The beast was spiraling downwards. She came up to a strange sort of monument in the center of the square and launched herself into the air. A light portal shone in the space above her head and she passed through it to land lightly on top of the monument. The beast roared again and came crashing towards the ground. It's landing shook the ground, but Silph remained poised for attack. "You ready?" she asked. The thing snarled as it began making it's somewhat clumsy way towards her.  
"Alright!" Silph laughed. "Here I come!" She launched herself forward and landed on the beast's head. It reeled back in surprise and tried to shake her off. She held on by driving Heartbreaker into the back of it's neck. It didn't seem to do much damage. The thing's skin was surprisingly thick and hard, almost rock-like. The beast howled and took off into the air. Silph managed to stand up when it started gliding around. Such an annoying brute. There had to be someplace where she could get a good hit in. She ran across the creature's crown and grabbed onto one of the horns. Using it, she swung down and landed a kick square in the thing's eye. It shrieked it's rage and wheeled into a barrel roll.  
Silph fell on one of the rolls and Heartbreaker disappeared. It seemed as if she were going to plummet hundreds of feet below to her immanent death when a light portal shone underneath her and she fell feet first into it. On the ground below, the other end of the portal opened and Silph fell upwards out of it. The force of gravity now pulling her upside down slowed her fall and she avoided landing on her head by extending a hand and launching herself back up into a half flip. She skidded to a halt and shook her now aching hand.  
"That was a bit careless of me," Silph grimaced. She looked up at the beast now descending slowly towards her. A blue fiery orb hung in front of it's open maw, steadily growing bigger and bigger until it was the size of a large tree. It launched it towards her and Silph threw up her hands. A light portal shone a few feet above her and started growing in size. As it grew Silph gasped with the effort it took to make it.  
Every nerve in her body was screaming for her to stop.  
The blue orb slammed into her portal and Silph screamed. Another portal, the same size, opened in front of the beast and the blue orb flew straight into the things face. There was an explosion of sound and the beast crashed, defeated, into the ground.  
Silph collapsed to her hands and knees gasping for breath. Never before had she made such an enormous portal. Had the thing not been as close as it was, she surely felt that her circumstances wouldn't have been so favoring. She sat there exhausted and unable to move. At least not for a little while.

The group ran down the street until they heard the sound of swords clashing. Sora stopped at the top of a large drop off and looked around. Riuki, unable to stop in time, tumbled down the hill and landed at the base of a ruined church. Kadaj turned at the sound of the commotion. Cloud took this opportunity and lunged at him. Kadaj turned to his side, the blade missing him by inches.  
Sora and the group ran down the hill, stopping at the base where Riuki landed.

"You can't defeat me, brother." Kadaj laughed. "Not now that mother is with me."  
"The box?" Sora raised an eyebrow.  
Kadaj glared. "You'll see," he turned and raised his hand, the yellow orb in his hand. A flash of lightning shot out of it and hit a pillar. The column fell, separating them. He took a step back and opened the box, removing the content from inside. Cloud managed to jump over the pillar to the other side.  
The group saw a flash of blue light shining behind the pillar. The pillar shattered, shards of stone flying everywhere. They raised their arms to shield themselves. When the dust cleared, they could see Cloud, his sword against a long silver katana.  
Sephiroth smiled. "Good to see you, Cloud."

Cloud glared and took a step back. He swung his sword forward but it met Sephiroth's blade once again. He slid it across, taking another step.  
Sephiroth grinned. "You brought help this time I see," he said, looking over Cloud's shoulder at the small group. "But you won't be able to hide behind children." He took a step forward. "How would you like it," he said, while continuing forward. "If I picked them off, one by one? What use are they really, if they are only pawns?"  
Cloud's eyes narrowed. He grasped his sword, carefully trying to predict his next move. Sephiroth rushed forward, raising the katana. Cloud blocked and countered back, but was unsuccessful. Sephiroth stepped around him, while Cloud maintained a distance from him. His back now to the group, Sephiroth flung Cloud off and scanned the group for the weakest member. Everyone looked at Riuki the same time he did.

"Uh, no," Yuki whispered.  
Sephiroth ran and slashed down with his sword. Riuki looked up in terror and shut his eyes waiting for the blow. He heard a clashing sound and glanced up to see Cloud, blocking with his sword right above Riuki, half-kneeling. He slowly raised himself up, pushing against Sephiroth's sword. He managed to shove it off and prepared for another attack.  
"You all should have stayed," Cloud told them, not looking behind. "You're in the way."  
"Cloud!" Sora protested. He got out his keyblade and got in his stance. "We're not letting you do it alone."  
"I work better alone," Cloud glared. "Get out of here while you still can."  
Sora shook his head. "Sorry Cloud," he ran forward past Cloud.  
Sephiroth grinned, stepping aside to let Sora in. He glanced at Cloud. "He can be the first to go," he began to fight Sora.  
Sephiroth heard a airy noise from behind and stepped out of the way, Oath Keeper narrowly missing him. He looked back to see it re-appearing in Roxas's hand, along with Oblivion.  
Sephiroth smiled, and glanced over at Cloud. "Another one? You're making this too easy Cloud."  
Cloud charged at Sephiroth, continuing to glare at Sora. "This is my fight!"  
"But-"  
"Sora," Riku said. "This is his, give him some time."  
Sora looked down in disappointment then nodded. "Okay.. I guess."  
Sephiroth jumped over to the other side of the closest pillar and slashed once at it's base. There was sharp crack and the pillar began to tip toward the group.

Riuki fell to his knees gasping in pain. Yuki ran forward, trying to get him out of the way of the collapsing pillar but was pulled away by Riku. "Stop, it's too dangerous." he held her as she began to struggle, Sora and Roxas ran toward them.  
"But Riuki," Yuki protested. "There's not much time we have to-"  
THUD!  
Dust filled the air as the pillar hit the ground making it impossible to see.

Yuki screamed. "No!"  
Sora froze and looked wide-eyed toward the pillar and the dust. Roxas looked back at them with a concerned expression then ran into the cloud of dust. Everything was silent.  
Sephiroth broke the silence."Now then," he taunted. "Should we continue?"  
Cloud turned glaring at Sephiroth, who only smirked in return. He firmly grasped his sword and charged. The two of them attacked relentlessly exchanging blows.

Sepiroth jumped back flying across the chasm with Cloud following him. Sephiroth spun around leaping up towards the peak of the ruins, slicing off parts of the building.  
"I've thought of a marvelous present for you," he taunted. "Shall I give you despair?" he said knocking Cloud down.  
Disoriented, Cloud stuck his sword into the building looking up at Sephiroth.  
"On your knees. I want you to beg for forgiveness," he said as the building began to collapse.

"C'mon, move!" Riku shouted, picking up Yuki and running to safety.  
"But Roxas, and Riuki-" Sora panicked.  
"-He knows, let's go!"  
Sora looked back as the cloud of dust started to clear. The way Riku said that made it sound as if only one of them was going to make it out. A large stone fell in between him and the cloud dust. He looked up to see rubble raining down. He ran toward Riku, slicing pieces of the falling rock out of the way before it struck him.

Cloud stepped down on part of his blade and it unhinged. He grabbed the piece from his sword and jumped, pulling the other part out of the building. He jumped onto the falling stone one after another, slicing the ones just above him and slowly drawing nearer to Sephiroth. He jumped onto the last of the falling rock and onto the roof. Sephiroth stood, waiting.  
"Very good Cloud," he smiled.

Sora and Riku skidded to a stop, the last piece of rock falling a few feet in front of them.  
Yuki elbowed Riku in the stomach. "I said let GO!" she yelled, darting after Riuki.

Sora followed Yuki as she went around large blocks of stone and climbed over a pile of rubble.  
"Riuki? Roxas? Where are you guys?" she called, searching around the piles of stone. She heard a groan and immediately ran toward the noise. She walked around the remaining stump of a pillar. There, half covered in rubble was Roxas, out cold. Just a few feet away from him was Riuki, who appeared to be conscious.

"Are you okay?" She made her way towards him. Riuki didn't answer. He didn't even look at her. The spiraling shadows from before shot out, creeping up his legs, trying to ingulf him once again. He shut his eyes while biting his bottom lip, trying to stay in control. Slowly the shadows retreated back inside. Once gone Riuki let out a gasp of relief. Panting heavally he looked up at Yuki, looking like he was about to pass out.  
Yuki knelt down by his side. "Hey," she said holding onto this shoulders. She motioned for Sora to come over. "Over here!" she yelled.  
"Hey, Riuki's okay!" Sora said relieved, running over to meet her. Yuki smiled in response. He looked down at Roxas.  
"Hey!" Sora ran to the pile, removing the rubble from on top of him. "How's he doing?" he motioned to Riuki.  
She shook her head. "I'm not sure, I think he almost changed again into that thing. Hey, Riuki, you okay? C'mon just say something."  
Ruiki held his head as blurred images entered his mind. They didn't make much sense to him. What he could make out was that he appeared to be fighting somebody infront of Castle Oblivion. In the images his oppenent was shadowy and disfigured. He couldn't even make out their face. As the images faded he saw himself fall to the ground. Defeated and about to black out he looked up at the figure with it's sword pointed down at him.  
"Riuki?" Yuki started to shake him. Riuki snapped out of it and looked up at her in shock. "I was attacked."  
"What do you mean you were attacked?" Yuki questioned.  
"At that castle where I first met Sora and the others. That's why I was unconciouse. I was attacked right before I lost my memory," Riuki tried to stand, still feeling a little dizzy.

The sound of swords clashing above continued but then went silent. Riku turned to see Cloud pinned to the wall by Sephiroth's katana.  
Cloud shut his eyes tight then looked down at the sword at his shoulder. Pain shot through his arm and through his body.  
"What do you treasure most?" Sephiroth smiled. "I want the joy of taking it from you." Cloud glared then closed his eyes. He grasped the edge of the katana with his free hand, and pulled it out. He picked up his sword and turned, swinging his sword at Sephiroth while doing so. Sephiroth jumped back a few feet to avoid the blow and landed back on the hard stone.  
"You don't understand at all," Cloud ran toward Sephiroth and they continued to attack. He swung his sword hard against the katana, Sephiroth parried his attack and jumped into the air to avoid the second blow. "There isn't anything I don't treasure." Cloud swung his sword over his head the lifted it up. Sephiroth grinned and held his weapon out in front of him. Cloud's sword began to come apart into separate pieces, surrounding Sephiroth from all sides. A blue aura began to glow from each sword.  
Sora began pulling Roxas from the last of the rubble and glanced up, noticing the swords. "Get him Cloud," he smiled.

Cloud grabbed a sword and swung at Sephiroth while rushing to the sword straight across. He took hold of hit and rushed Sephiroth again, repeating the same action as before. Cloud grabbed the final sword and jumped up, swinging down the final blow at Sephiroth. He landed back on the stone roof, the sword parts falling down around him.  
He caught the last sword and looked up at Sephiroth. "Stay in my memories, where you belong."  
A large black wing opened on Sephiroth's left shoulder. He looked down at Cloud and smiled. "I will never be a memory," he replied. The wing folded around him and began to fade away. Kadaj's body fell down against the hard stone.

Sora slowly made his way to where Cloud and Kadaj were. He grabbed the top of the ledge and swung himself up. Cloud put his sword down and began to catch his breath. Kadaj groaned, struggling to rise to his feet. Kadaj grasped his sword and began to charge at Cloud. He stumbled and dropped his sword, collapsing to the ground. Cloud dropped his sword and caught him. Kadaj attempted to get up, but didn't seem to have the strength left to do so.  
A rain drop fell down on the ground. "Kadaj," a female voice spoke. "You don't have to hold on any longer."  
Cloud turned and Sora looked around to find the source of the voice, but it was no where to be found. More droplets of rain started to fall from the sky. Kadaj slowly began to fade away, disappearing into light, until he was completely gone.  
The group was silent.

"I guess it's over," Sora said.  
Cloud nodded in agreement. "Guess so."  
Sora spotted a yellow orb, lying where Kadaj had been. He picked it up, examining it. "It's kinda like the one we found. Wonder what it does?"  
Cloud shrugged. "You keep it. You guys probably have more use for it then I do."  
"Okay," Sora smiled, putting it into his pocket. "Thanks."  
Sora felt a small drop on his hand. He looked up toward the sky. The light rainfall turned into a downpour.  
"Where did this come from?" Sora said, holding his hands out to feel the rain.  
Yuki smiled as the rain poured down. Roxas groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He shut them tight and put up his arm to shield himself from the rain. Yuki laughed.  
Riku looked down at his arm. As soon as the rain came in contact with it, the rash slowly began to disappear. He turned his hand to see the mark had faded.  
"I guess we'd better get back," Sora said. "We have to get on our way."  
Cloud began to walk away."Good luck then Sora."  
"Where are you going?"  
Cloud kept walking. "I have one last thing to take care of. See you again." Cloud walked down to his motorcycle and rode off toward the hill.  
"Okay. See you Cloud."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"AWW! So I missed the whole thing?" Yuffie said, disappointed. "_Please_! Next time something like this happens, let me in on it!"  
Sora scratched the back of his head. "Sorry Yuffie."  
"So where to next?" Kairi asked.  
"Dunno," Sora looked to Riku. "Any idea?"  
"Let's just go to whatever's closest," Riku said. "We'll try to find out some more information about that other group."  
"Alright," Sora turned to Yuffie. "Tell everyone bye for us, 'kay?"  
Yuffie ran up and gave Sora a hug. "Sure! Be careful now."  
"Sure," Sora laughed. "See ya!"  
Roxas made a portal and they all entered through.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Passiva walked through the Hall of Empty Melodies and into the Proof of Existence. She walked through all the shattered stones of what looked like graves. She stopped to look at some of the stone headings, all thirteen with different titles. "Melodious Nocturne", "Savage Nymph".  
Footsteps sounded from behind her. "Where have you been?" she asked, still examining the ruined stones.  
"Around." Rebel folded his arms. Passiva glanced back at him then continued examining.  
"You look..." Rebel paused, looking for the right word. "...ticked."  
"Sarcasm is disobeying orders, and we've already lost one member. I will only ask this once again: where have you been this time?"  
"I've been keeping tabs on the kids. Isn't that what you wanted?"  
She stood up to face him. Her eyes narrowed. "If you wont tell me, I'll find out sooner or later. But while you are here, I have a slight favor to ask of you."  
"Oh?" he sat on one of the steps and kicked one of the last standing blocks in the first row. "And that would be?"  
"Sorrow is in her position as we speak. Lure them to her so she can apprehend them," Passiva smiled. "Some of our members believe a few would be capable to serve as hosts."  
Rebel shook his head. "Whatever," he stood up to leave when he felt her mood change. Turning around he saw her gaze calmly at the final stone. Half of it was cracked while the other half had a small blue shine eminating from it.  
"One more thing," she read the subscription around the remaining stone. "There seems to be one last surviving member of the Organization. Despose of him."  
"Sure," he said giving his hand a slight wave. "Later." He disappeared through black mist.  
Passiva stood up, stepping down on the glowing stone. It shattered to pieces, leaving it the same as the rest in the room.


	11. Leads and Misleads

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

_**~Okay another concept that was difficult to add into the story was the 'memory spheres'. After talking about it, we decided to throw it in. (I'll explain later lol)! Again, I apologize if the posts appear choppy, it's been extremely difficult to paste them in the proper order! Anywho, here's the next chapter!**_

Sora stepped out of the portal. They had appeared where they had started earlier in Midgar.  
"So... why are we right here?" Yuki yawned. "We've already been here, aren't we going somewhere new?"  
"In a second.." Sora looked at the city. "It's kinda neat that we were able to go to where Cloud's from, huh Riku."  
"Sure," Riku shrugged.  
"Done fantasizing?" a voice said. Out of a wisp of black mist, a man with short red hair stepped out. He folded his arms.  
"You're with that one girl!" Sora's eyes narrowed.  
"Very good, doesn't take much to fool you does it shorty? No, technically I'm not with "that one girl" but in a sense. Depends whether I feel like going to the meets," the man grinned.  
Sora looked back at his friends, confused.  
"Sheesh, not very friendly today are you? Here, how about I ease up the tension with a proper greeting: Hi, the name's Rebel." he said, extending his hand. Sora didn't shake so he pulled it back. "Okay.. Well, might as well cut to the chase. I'm willing to give you guys a sort of clue, for starters. How does that sound?"  
"Why should we trust you? What's the catch?" Sora questioned.  
"Nice one," Rebel said. "Can't fool you. There is no catch, this is just a bit of advice or information, for your benefit. Let's see, how much do you know about "that one girl"?"  
"Not much.." Sora admitted.  
"Good. This," he gestured to their left and a black mist shot up from the ground. "will lead you to a little information about the group. It couldn't hurt to find out a little, right? Isn't that why you guys were sent on this 'mission' in the first place?"  
"Hey how did you-?"  
"That's not important. Last chance, take it our leave it."  
Sora looked at the group and shrugged.  
"Let's give it a shot. If it's trouble we can get out," Riku answered. Kairi nodded in agreement.  
"Fine," Sora turned to Rebel.  
"Oh, good," Rebel smiled. "Enjoy." A black mist engulfed him and he was gone.  
"I don't think this is such a good idea, Sora," Riku turned.  
"Yeah. But it couldn't hurt to look. We could leave the girls here, they'd be safe with Tifa, then check it out to be safe."  
"No, we're all going," Kairi cut in. "If something were to happen, it's better we all go, then be separated."  
Sora gave Riku a worried expression. Kairi folded her arms, waiting for a reply.  
"Okay fine," Sora gave in. "But if anything happens, we're getting you guys outta there and somewhere safe. I'm not even sure if those two should be able to come alone. They kinda just stowed away."  
"Oh, c'mon," Yuki objected. She pushed past them and walked into the mist. Amu followed close behind.  
"No- ah- wait- uugh!" Sora groaned.  
"Looks like we have no choice now. Let's go," Roxas said. Namine grabbed his hand and they walked through.  
"Okay..."  
The remainder of the group followed inside.

Silph watched the group leave. This wasn't good. They were heading straight into Sorrow's realm. From what she knew about her nothing good could come from going near her. Still, she had orders, and she wasn't about to give up her mission just because Sorrow was a freak. She opened a portal to leave Midgar and follow the faint trail Critter had left behind.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

The mist continued to lead them until they arrived at a small dark town. Sora stepped out by Guillotine Gate and smiled, glancing around the familiar town. The girls smiled looking at their changed outfits. Each of them were now in what looked like different Halloween costumes.

"Yeesh, this place is eerie.. where are we?" Yuki asked, clinging to Riuki.  
"Halloween Town," Sora grinned.  
"You've been here?" Kairi asked.  
"Sure, but it's been awhile... I wonder where Jack is? Let's go look!"  
Namine cocked her head. "But shouldn't we be doing something else first?"  
"Right, the clue.." Sora lowered his head. "Fine... let's ask around too, see what information we can get."

Kairi and Sora continued to lead, searching for anybody in the town to talk to.  
"It's creepy isn't it? Feels like a ghost town," Yuki shivered.  
"I could name a few people who would love to hear you say that," Sora snickered.  
"No," Kairi said. "It's a little quiet though don't you think? You've told me about this world once and the people here. But there's no one here.. Is there some sort of a meeting?"  
Sora paused and began to think. "Hmm.. you have a point. Let's try the lab and Jack's house, he's usually at one or the other."  
Sora rushed over to try Jack's house, then rushed back shaking his head. "Locked. Let's try the lab then."  
Kairi nodded and followed Sora to the door. He knocked first, then waited. No answer.  
"Maybe they didn't hear?"  
He tried again. Again, no answer. He began to turn the doorknob but it stopped. "Nope. Huh. Wonder where they've gone?"

Yuki continued walking with Riuki, constantly looking over her shoulder as if something were following or going to pop out at any given moment.  
CRASH!  
A trash can fell down in the corner by Town Hall. Yuki screamed, clinging to Riuki.  
"It's okay," Sora said calmly, walking over to see what happened. They heard three voices conversing with each other.  
"_Shhhh!_You want to give us away? Stop shoving!"  
"I'm not!"  
"I told you we shouldn't have left our other spot!"  
Sora moved the can out of the way and looked behind.  
"Aah!" Three small trick-or-treaters clinged to each other.  
"Lock? Shock? Barrel?" Sora raised an eyebrow.  
"Eeeek!" They jumped and turned around.  
"Oh it's just you." Lock smiled smugly.  
"What are you guys up to now? Where is everybody?" Sora began questioning.  
"Shut up, they're going to hear us!" Shock hissed.  
Suddenly there was a loud wail, more menacing than sad.  
"Oh crap! One's found us!" Barrel began running.  
"Let's get out of here!" They scrambled out of sight.  
"Bizarre," Sora folded his arms. "Wonder what got into 'em?"

The wailing gradually grew louder and then went silent. A cold chill filled the air.  
"Look!" Yuki screamed, pointing to Guillotine Gate. A dark shadowy creature was trying to get through to the other side. The creature was covered in black, with dark, thin wings. It had what looked like dark hair, partly covering up the face, hiding it in shadow. It glided from bar to bar, looking for a way through.  
A dark spot formed on the ground below it then crept up, engulfing the creature completely. It seeped through the bars to the other side and returned to its previous form.  
"What is it?" Kairi stepped back.  
Sora squinted his eyes, watching the creature. "I think it's a heartless," he said, summoning his keyblade.  
As the heartless crept closer it seemed to bring a sinking feeling with it. "If it's just a heartless, it shouldn't be too much of a problem," Sora ran toward it. The heartless slowly turned and raised an arm in his direction. Dark aura began to turn around it. Sora jumped up and slashed down at it. The heartless cringed and disappeared in a wisp of black smoke. Sora stood up and shrugged, dismissing his keyblade.  
"Is that why everyone's so afraid here?" Kairi said, watching the spot where the heartless was.  
"There may be something bigger then that," Namine replied. "Like a leader."  
Sora nodded. "Yeah. Let's go get Riku, he should be okay now."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Silph stepped into a clearing in a patch of woods. The trees around her all had doors with different holiday shapes on them. There was a trail to her right and she began following it towards Halloween Town. As she came out of the woods and into the graveyard she heard something. A moaning wail that made the hair at the base of her neck stand on end. "Sorrow," Silph whispered. It might not have been her that she heard, but the sound seemed to make her feel hollow and without purpose. At that moment winged figures began to materialize all around her. They moaned and wailed as they seemed to glide towards her. Silph shook the darkness she felt and reached out for Heartbreaker. It appeared in her hand and began to glow. She gently tugged one side of the heart shaped handle and the heart and blade split. In one hand she held half of the heart and the keyblade's blade. In the other, half of the heart and attached to it a glowing blade of white. She pointed this at the closest heartless and it screamed before shattering into pieces. The other heartless watched their comrade's scattered pieces glow white, then begin to rise, spinning, into the air. Then the shards stopped, pointed towards the other heartless, and sped towards them. They slammed into them and horrible shrieks filled the air. Some fell and disappeared into nothing. Those that remained made a fast retreat. Silph glared at them as they fled. Something was up. "Is Sorrow trying to kill me?" she asked herself. Heartbreaker faded from her hands as she began walking forward again. "Stupid form of attack. Since when can darkness overcome the light?"

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

They pushed past the gate and into the woods next to the graveyard. A mist had settled low on the ground. Yuki shut her eyes, still clinging to Riuki.  
"Sora," Roxas looked toward the gravestones. "There's something over there."  
Sora froze. A cold chill filled the atmosphere along with the familiar sinking feeling. A figure began to emerge from the fog and stopped in front of the gravestone. It was a girl with long silvery hair and a torn white dress. She had a black ribbon tied across her eyes like a blindfold.  
"W-Who are you?" Sora asked, surprised. Yuki slowly began to walk back, keeping a good distance from the strange girl. Roxas stepped in front of Namine. The girl paused, studying each of them individually.

Her eyes stopped when she came to Roxas. "So you're the organization member." She spoke with a soft, chilling voice. "A nobody."  
Roxas didn't respond. He summoned Oath Keeper and Oblivion, eying her cautiously. The girl ignored him and continued on. She then looked down toward the ground. She lifted her hands, removing the black ribbon around her eyes. She opened her eyes, focusing on the group. Kairi froze. The girl's eyes were a solid black, with silver irises.  
Sora glanced at Riku, his eyes wide. "I can't move," he said, struggling.  
"I can't either," Roxas struggled.  
Yuki screamed and shut her eyes tight. Riuki looked around, confused. The girl studied Riuki for a moment, then stopped in front of Roxas. She held up her arm and a dark aura began to spiral around her hand until it formed into a solid claw-like weapon. Her arm rested at her side and she walked forward, stopping feet away.

She raised her hand slightly and lunged forward at Roxas who was struggling to move.  
"Don't," Ruiki ran in front of Roxas.  
Roxas, finally able to move, pushed Riuki out of the way while dodging the girl's attack. The red orb fell onto the ground next to them.  
"You okay?" Roxas asked Riuki. Riuki only nodded slightly.

The girl slowly turned toward them and readied her weapon for another attempt. Roxas started to get up but was once again, unable to move.  
"Sheesh, you need help _already_?" A familiar voice said. "C'mon, I thought you could do better then that."  
Roxas looked around, the voice sounding familiar. "Axel?"  
A wall of fire shot up from the ground, separating the group from the girl. Axel walked forward and grinned. "In the flesh. Well, sort of. Anywho, let's getcha guys outta here first, then we can talk."  
Axel summoned his chakrams. He threw them one by one toward the girl. The weapons flew around her then back, creating a large ring of fire surrounding her. Axel caught the weapons and dismissed them. The ring of flames slowly advance toward the girl. "Let's go," Axel raised his hand and a large black portal opened around the group.  
The girl swiped at the fire and backed toward the center to avoid it. The flames slowly began to die down, but by the time it cleared, the group was gone.

The group fell out of the portal and onto a hard floor. Roxas took in a breath. "Thanks Axel," he got up and looked around.  
Axel turned. "Okay, first off," Axel whacked Roxas across the back of the head.  
"_Ow- hey!_"  
"What was wrong back there, huh? Sheesh, after everything before and you act like this is your first fight."  
"Yeah," Roxas admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "Hold on... how are you here?"  
Axel shrugged. "It's complicated. If you really want to know, you should probably ask Namine. But that's not important. What you should be focusing on is what you are up against."  
"What do you know about them?" Sora asked.  
Axel paused. "Not much," he shook his head. "But they're different."  
"Different?" Sora questioned. "How?"  
"This group seems to have a whole new purpose. But whatever it is, I don't know. All I do know is that you should watch your backs."  
Sora nodded.  
"So, what do we do now?" Roxas asked.  
"Keep looking for answers," Axel folded his arms. "You might find something here."  
"That's what the other guy said, and we ran into that one girl."  
"Well if you keep your guard up Roxas, you might not be beaten up by a girl this time."  
"Hey!"  
Axel laughed. "Anyway, you guys should get going. Good luck." He began to fade into a red light, disappearing completely.

Riuki looked around at the group to see if they were as confused as he was. "Who was that?"  
Roxas bent down and picked up the orb. "Axel." He answered. "He was a friend of mine. But how..." He faced Namine. "he died, right?"  
"Yes," she replied. "But DiZ had me do it before Sora woke up. Gathering some of the memories from the Organization, I was told to contain parts in spheres like that," she gestured to the red orb.  
"So, he's not really back?" Roxas looked down.  
"No," Namine said. "It's still him, but he's only a memory now. DiZ was hoping that maybe we could use their power if we ever needed to. They were taken so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands."  
"How do they work?" Kairi asked.  
Namine shook her head. "I'm not really sure myself, DiZ altered them somehow."

There was a loud explosion coming from behind. The group quickly turned. In the distance, there stood a ruined castle on top of a black mountain. Toward the center of it was a giant green pillar of fire that seemed to erupt out of nowhere. It sunk down and disappeared.  
"What was that?" Amu cocked her head.  
"That..kinda reminds me of someone," Sora paused. He looked off to the opposite direction. There was a tall white castle with a drawbridge at the entrance. "Well, there's two ways to go from here. Either the creepy castle to the right, or that big white one to the left."  
"We should maybe go find out what caused that explosion first," Riku said. "I think you're right, it does seem familiar."  
Kairi nodded. "Then what are we waiting for?" she smiled.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Silph managed to keep up with the group. It was hard work since they seemed to move all over the place. If it weren't for Critter she wondered if she would have been able to keep up as well as she did.  
Looking up at the castle she had to sigh. "Great," she said. "Lam and Lem territory." Those two were just a sorry couple of whiny brats. She wasn't sure how Passiva could take them seriously. They usually caused more problems then they fixed. Apparently that's what must be going on right now, because of all the noise.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"This job is too hard." Lam moaned, making sure that he still had eyebrows. Both he and his brother barely manage to get out of the castle courtyard before Malesicent could fry them to a crisp.  
"We need to go back to Passiva and get an easier one," Lem moaned.  
There was a wispy sound and Rebel appeared in front of the boys, folding his arms. "And where do you two think you're going?"  
"To get another job," Lem said.  
"Wanna trade?" Lam asked.  
Rebel laughed. It was a mystery why Passiva had given them the job to eliminate Maleficent. After the fall of the Organization, she had tried to take their stronghold. Maleficent threatened the Order once Passiva successfully acquired the castle. She returned to the Enchanted Dominion and remained there ever since, waiting for her chance to return. "Too hard huh? Heh, I knew you two weren't cut out for the job. And it's fairly simple too."  
"No it's not!"  
"You try getting rid of that witch."  
"Right. You two," He motioned for them to come. "Follow me. We'll try again."  
The two boys began to back away. Rebel grabbed them by their collars and they disappeared.

**_~As I mentioned before, I was hesitant in adding the 'memory spheres' but they ended up serving a purpose later in the story.  
Before we knew about the released worlds in _**_Birth by Sleep__ **we all discussed worlds we would like to see, or would most likely see in future Kingdom Hearts games. Among these was the world of Sleeping Beauty. There's been the return of some worlds such as Halloween Town and Land of the Dragons, but also a few new ones we decided to test out ^_^ **_

_**I'll get started on the next chapter!**_


	12. The Twins

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

_**~I had to do some major editing on this chapter! I debated whether or not Jest's appearance should be dropped in this chapter. Eventually I decided to allow this one last appearance before the group until her fight later on in the story.  
**__**Lem and Lam... I don't even know what to say about those two... Chapter 12!**_

Sora approached a wooden drawbridge, the entrance to the stone castle. The entrance was guarded by two Shadows.  
"Cake," Sora grinned. He rushed forward, taking them out in two swings, then motioned to them for the all-clear. The boys pulled open the heavy doors just enough for them to slip inside. They entered a large, open stone hall. Distant voices echoed off the walls.

_"HOW DARE YOU!"_  
_"We're not even doing anything."_  
_"Can't we leave now?"_

Sora looked at Riku and raised an eyebrow.  
"Let's take a closer look," Roxas said, running ahead.  
"Shh, come here," Kairi motioned toward a large, wooden door. The voices continued from the other side.

_"Okay," Rebel rolled his eyes. "Try this again."_  
_"But she will kill us," Lam moaned._  
_"And-" (Lem started, but was interrupted by Rebel)_  
_"Aw just shut up, will ya? Sheesh, get it over with."_

Sora turned to Riku, "What are they talking about?"  
He shrugged. "Come on, let's check it out."  
The two of them snuck into the large dark room and hid behind a slab of stone.

"You two again?" Maleficent raised an eyebrow. "I told you to leave."  
"We want to.." Lam started.  
"Do we have to do this? I'm too tired!" Lem complained.  
Rebel smacked Lem across the back of the head. "Oh, come on! You two are hopeless! I feel like half the time I'm sent to babysit you two.."

Silph managed to find her way into the castle. When she saw Lam and Lem she glared. "So it was you," she said walking forward. She noticed Rebel and barely took a glance at Maleficent. Lam and Lem opened their mouths to protest but Silph interrupted by saying, "You two should know better. If you don't do your job it usually becomes my problem. I'm not about to let you two get away with it. Either you get your acts in gear or I will take you out myself. What do you think Rebel?"  
Rebel grinned. "Fair enough.. You two better hurry up then, she won't hesitate, you know."  
Lam and Lem looked at each other in silence, then broke out into a series of complaints.  
"No, it's too hard!"  
"We can't yet..."  
"And I don't want to go now..."  
"SHUT UP!" Rebel shouted. The twins continued on. Rebel rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Hopeless," he muttered.  
"What a bunch of babies," said Silph. She glanced up at Maleficent and smirked. "She doesn't look so tough." With a flash of light Heartbreaker appeared in her hand. "Alright then, Lam, Lem, will you start, or shall I?"

Kairi peeked into the room. She could see the boys hiding behind the large stone, watching the scene. "Maybe we should pull them out?" she hesitated. "Just to make sure? He was the one that led us in that trap."

"Imbeciles!" Maleficent's eyes narrowed. "Out of here, all of you! You have no business in my domain!"  
"Well," Rebel smiled. "That's where you're wrong."  
He yawned and looked back at Silph. "Looks like you have everything under control, I'll leave it up to you. Later," he gave a mock salute and disappeared.  
Lam and Lem's weapons appeared in their hands. They looked back from Maleficent to each other, hesitant.  
"You can go first," Lam said.  
"No, you can," Lem replied.  
And the complaints continued.

"Hey, wait!" Silph called after Rebel. "Why do I have to be stuck with these guys?" She glared at the spot where Rebel had left then turned to watch Lam and Lem. They were bickering amongst each other, not to her surprise. She sighed heavily then shouted, "Just go together! I'll back you up."  
Lam and Lem groaned. "Why can't someone else do it?" they said in unison. They looked at each other and paused.  
"Hey, you just copied what I said."  
"No, you copied what I said!"  
Yuki screamed. "This is so ANNOYING!"  
Sora watched the two in disbelief.  
"Can't we go DO something?"  
"Shh," Roxas sighed. "Not yet."

Laughter filled the room as Jest appeared. She was sitting crossed legged in the air holding her sides. Lam and Lem glared up at her. "What do you want?"  
"_Please_! She gave _you_ two the job?" She giggled. "It's laughable really, just had to come see for myself! Haha, don't mind me."  
The twins groaned.  
"You know?" Jest put a finger to her lips. "I wonder what Passiva will do when she finds out. We've already lost a member. It wasn't by our doing but I doubt she'd miss you two. So think about it like this: who do you fear more, Maleficent or Passiva."  
The twins looked at each other with wide eyes before charging at the sorceress.

"Passiva isn't so scary," Silph whispered. She began walking away from the twins and Jest. "Later," she said with a short wave.

"Finally," Jest said, content. "And Rebel I know you're still here, you wouldn't want to miss this. Might as well come out now, I'm leaving."  
Rebel stepped forward. "Smart," he rolled his eyes. Jest disappeared. Rebel sat down on a block of stone, watching the twins struggle against Maleficent.  
Maleficent's staff slammed on the ground with a sharp _crack_ and the boys stopped.  
"You fools!" she lightly touched the tip of the green orb in her staff, giving off a greenish hue. There was a loud crack and bolts of lightning rained down all around them. The twins scattered, trying to avoid the bolts. Maleficent cackled.  
"No! No! No! Get your acts in gear," Rebel shouted. "Now! Other way."

"Wow. They're even worse than Demyx," Sora commented, amazed.  
Riuki watched with unknown interest as the twins tried to defend themselves. He glanced over at Rebel who returned his gaze with a raised eyebrow. In a panic Riuki ducked back behind the group's hiding place.  
Rebel turned his attention to Lam and Lem, as he thought about the castle's visitor.  
"Why aren't you helping?" Lam managed to whine and wheeze at the same time.  
"Cause I don't want to get killed."  
"What?" Lem groaned. The two of them bolted and hid behind a stone.

"That's it," Rebel stretched and stood up. "Let me show you how it's done. This has gone on long enough."  
Maleficent turned and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how will you manage?" she challenged.  
Rebel yawned, slowly moving forward. He stopped halfway between the twins and her. He opened the palms of his hands, a red aura forming around them. The aura extended out, beginning to take a shape. He closed his fists around the light and it disappeared, a hooked sword in each hand. Rebel swiftly rushed toward her. Maleficent smirked and pointed her staff in his direction, a green flash shot out at him. There was a crash and a cloud of dust appeared where it struck. She smiled, content, and put her staff back down.  
The dust began to clear, revealing only crushed stone.  
Maleficent peered into the dust. A black mist formed behind her and took form. Rebel lunged and struck her.  
Her eyes went wide in surprise. "Wh-?" she gasped, clutching her stomach.  
Rebel dismissed his weapons.

The twins sighed in relief, dismissing their weapons.  
"Phew, she's gone."  
"That was close."  
"Oh, I almost forgot." Rebel paused, his weapons re-appeared in his hands.  
"Um, what are you doing?" Lam raised an eyebrow.  
"I'm curious." Rebel smirked, pointing his weapons at the two.

Lem drew back behind his brother as if using him as a shield. "Wh- what do you mean?"  
Rebel shrugged. "I think you know the answer to that."  
The boys went stiff, understanding his motives. Lam tried to grab Lem back from behind him so that he could hide behind his brother, but he resisted. The boys scattered as Rebel advanced, shouting complaints back and forth as they ran.  
_"You're not going fast enough!" "I'm trying!"_  
The twins ran behind a slab of stone and jumped, noticing the group also behind the rock.  
"Hey.. why are you here?" Lam asked. Lem peered over the stone to see if Rebel was there.  
Sora opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by approaching footsteps.  
Rebel came into view and sighed. "What good did that do you?"  
The twins flinched at the sound of his voice. Rebel crossed the blade together then slashed. The boys fell to their knees and a black mist began to creep up them. They moaned as it continued to engulf them.  
_"Why do we have to go now?" "We didn't even get to finish!"_  
"Then you should have thought that through," Rebel dismissed the twin hooked weapon. The mist faded into a silvery wisp of light and they disappeared.

Silph was in shock. Lam and Lem? Dead? What was Rebel thinking?

Rebel turned to the group. The girls stared wide-eyed in shock.  
Rebel laughed. "I'm through for today," he held his hands up in false surrender.  
"Why'd you do that? Aren't you on their side?" Sora stood up.  
"Define 'side'," Rebel folded his arms. "Not exactly, but what does it matter? You just continue what you are doing."  
"The last time we took your advise, we almost ended up dead!" Yuki shouted.  
"Then don't take it as advise. Do what you want, it works for me."  
Sora narrowed his eyes. "What do you guys want?"  
"I'm not telling. You can figure that on your own," Rebel paused, glancing at Riuki, who was trying to register what had happened. "Good luck," Rebel disappeared through black mist.  
"Hey- wait a sec!" Sora rushed toward the mist. He extended his hand attempting to go through but the mist scattered, evanescent.  
"What was that about?" Roxas thought out loud.  
Riku shook his head. "Whatever threat was here, it's gone now. We should move on. We'll check back if we need to."

Silph couldn't take it anymore. What was going on? She looked up towards the sky. Her eyes dimmed to a bluish grey with confusion. "Critter, I need you," she whispered.  
Critter heard Silph's call. He turned towards the sound and saw her standing a few feet away. Turning towards Riuki he tugged on his jacket and bowed to be excused. He then walked away from the group to Silph and smiled up at her.  
"Thanks for coming," she said. "I have a favor to ask you." Critter pointed at himself questioningly. "Could I borrow Boo for a while?"  
Critter seemed to think for a minute before nodding. He undid a stitch in his foot and pulled out a small white plushie with red eyes. He handed this to Silph and smiled. "You might not get it back for a while. Is it still okay for me to use it?" Critter looked up at the plushie and then Silph with a blank expression. He motioned for Silph to bend down, which she did so. His yellow eyes looked into Boo's red ones. He hugged the plushie once, then motioned for Silph to take it. "Thank you," she said. "You really are my best friend."  
Silph held the plushie in her left had. With her right she summoned Heartbreaker. The keyblade split into two and one half disappeared leaving the glowing spear behind. The plushie began to float upwards until it was floating above her head. Silph raised the spear and a blinding light flashed and the plushie fell.  
Before it hit the ground it stopped suddenly and started to float lazily back and forth. It's dull red eyes began to glow with life and it turned over slowly to look up at Critter and Silph.  
Critter's jaw had dropped and now he turned to look at Silph. "Yes," she said. "This is how I made you. I didn't think I'd have to do it to Boo too. She was supposed to be yours to play with." Silph picked up Boo gently. "Hello there little one," she said. Boo made a small purring noise and floated happily back and forth. Silph smiled. "I need you to do something. Are you ready?" Boo bobbed up and down excitedly. "Thank you. I need you to keep an eye on Passiva for me. Something's up. Do you think you can do that?" Boo bobbed again before flying off through a light portal.  
Silph watched the spot where Boo had disappeared before turning back to Critter. "You can go back with the group if you want. I have some thinking to do."  
Critter saluted, then ran back to Riuki. He paused halfway to close up the loose stitch and then stood next to Riuki's leg. He looked at it for a minute, then hugged it tightly.

"You guys ready?" Roxas asked.  
Sora nodded. "I guesso.. That was the last of it."  
"Let's get going! Oo I wonder what's next!" Yuki squealed while Amu jumped in delight. "Kicking bad guy's butts, running from weird creatures-"  
"-actually," Sora interrupted. "You two should head back. It's two dangerous and you should've gone back awhile ago."  
"What?" Yuki gasped. "No way! We've been help to you guys so far, why don't those two go?" Yuki pointed at Kairi and Namine.  
Sora looked down. "They might have to if things get worse.. but this is different."  
"_Different_? How is this different? You want us to leave just because we're girls, huh?"  
"Wha- NO! That's not what I mean," Sora panicked. "I- uh-"  
"Sora's concerned for your safety, that's all." Riku pitched in.  
Amu and Yuki's eyes lit up. Sora glared at Riku. Roxas snickered quietly.  
"AWWW! You care!" The girls gave him a hug.  
"Um, yeah, sure," Sora backed up. "Roxas can take you guys."  
Roxas went silent.  
"Aw, we'll miss you.." Amu looked down.  
"Don't worry, we'll visit," Sora smiled.  
"Okay!"  
"Bye!" Yuki waved. The group waved back, the girls disappearing through a portal Roxas had summoned. The portal closed behind them, disappearing in a wisp of black smoke. A second ingress appeared against the wall.  
"Let's go," Sora grinned and took a step inside the portal.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

_Boo hovered outside Passiva's castle. She knew her mission. Just keep an eye on things. She bobbed around, occasionally chasing a heartless. She enjoyed scaring them with her stealth. At least she thought they got scared. It was hard to tell with heartless._

Passiva passed the Proof of Existance, following a stair case the lead to a vast room with platforms separated in the broken floor, each at least twenty feet apart. She followed a small clear path leading to each of these platforms until she she made it through to the opposite side. The next room lead to a staircase that followed up to the outside. She stopped at the top of the round, flat platform. The view overlooked the world, showing the other side of the castle to the dark city. The city was in ruin, parts of each skyscraper had collapsed in heaps of rubble. Memory Skyscraper, the remaining building, stood out from all the others. But none of that interested her. There was something more important here then anything down there. In front of her on the edge of the round platform stood a tall white doorway, half open. The previous Organization had tried to use this doorway for the soul purpose to gain a heart, so that they could try to become "whole", but failed. Passiva stopped at the door's entrance, examining it. It had taken a long time to finally restore it from what Organization XIII's last encounter. But now, Kingdom Hearts had been restored and could finally be used to achieve her goal. The group of kids were no current threat thus far. So long as no one knew about the door, everything would be going as planned.  
Passiva slipped through the opening and walked inside.

Boo had watched Passiva enter the Kingdom Hearts. She knew should tell her mistress, but she wanted to chase a few more heartless first. They scattered before her in terror. It was so much fun! After a while she bobbed around, finding no more heartless. She slumped a little disappointed before popping back to Silph. The sight of her mistress cheered her up and she purred contentedly. Silph looked up at her and nodded for her to relay the message. Boo happily complied. A small fog rose up in front of her and images began moving across them. Silph's eyes widened at what she saw. "You go back to Critter. Now," she said. "I don't want you back there again. It's too dangerous."  
Boo bobbed up and down. She was a little saddened that she wouldn't be able to chase heartless around, but still she obeyed. She hovered over to the group and landed on Critter's head. He jumped a little in surprise, but then smiled happily at her. Boo purred again.


	13. Festival of Fools

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

_**~Thanks for your patience everyone! Over the past week, Bella, Hikari and I ran into a problem with the next chapter. Posting the next would would mean for us to re-write the entire story of the world due to following events. After revising the chapter together we decided it would be best for the story to skip this 'filler' world and move onto the next.  
Unfortunately, another scene had to be curtailed from the story as well. Reading it over and over it just didn't seem to flow with the story... It might be inserted into Hikari's **"Things We Wanted to Do But Couldn't"**, a book we've worked on since the beginning. It's where the funny yet rejected ideas of the story end up =3 **_

_**This next world is one I hope Disney and Square will add in future Kingdom Hearts games. I had only seen it once before writing this chapter but this had been a movie Hikari and Bella grew up watching. When we discussed the worlds we'd be adding this had been one of their interest =] Like all the worlds before, Hikari and I watched the movie together and began scheming for the world's events! Again, thanks for waiting and finally.. Chapter 13!**_

Crowds of people stood, gathered in a large town square. The buildings around were close together with a large stone cathedral towering high above the others. The crowd cheered the dancers, who waved flags and ribbons, wearing bright assortments of clothing. Sora grinned, eagerly eying the festivities.  
"Hey!" Sora called over, gesturing toward Riku. "Check it out! It's some sort of festival, we arrived at the right time!"  
Riku rolled his eyes and glanced around. To the front was a wide stage with chairs set behind in the shade. In the center seat sat a man in a long black robe, tapping his fingers on the wooden armrest.

"And now," A tall man in bright colored clothing jumped upon the stage. A purple mask concealed the top half of his face. He motioned around with his hands while speaking, catching the crowd's attention. "Here it is! The moment you've been waiting for! It is time to crown the Fool of Topsy Turvy Day!" The man and other gypsies began to round up those in clever costumes and bring them to the stage. A woman with thick black hair and a long red dress made her way through the crowd and began to pull Sora up on the stage.  
"Come on," she told him.  
Sora's eyes widened with realization. "Wait- me? Oh no, no- I don't think-"  
"Go on Sora," Roxas laughed.  
The woman smiled leading Sora to the stage. He was placed next to a tall man with a balloon hat and a short, hunched man who watched uneasily over the crowd as if unsure he should be there. The tall gypsy man walked around the line of contestants on the stage, picking them off one by one to the side. He paused at Sora then grinned at the short man next to him.  
"Here he is!" he announced. "Here is our crowned fool! And now to reveal who it truly is!" The gypsy leaned in to remove the mask and paused, realizing that it was the man's face. The crowd gasped.  
_"It's the ringer at the Bell Tower!"_  
"_Quasimodo_," another shouted.  
The dark man in the chair leaned forward, glaring.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen," the gypsy shouted, raising the arm who the crowd referred to as 'Quasimodo'. "Is he not the perfect candidate to crown the Fool of this splendid festival? I give you: Quasimodo!" The gypsy crowned Quasimodo and led him through the crowd to a tall stand. The short man's face lit up as the crowd cheered him.  
A guard tossed a round fruit and caught it in his hand. "Hey!" he yelled, throwing it at Quasimodo. He flinched as it hit him. The crowd roared with laughter. Others called, throwing food, trying to get the same reaction as before. Ropes lashed out from the crowd and bound him to the top of the stand. He glanced around, dismayed, as the crowd continued to throw and to mock him. Kairi and Namine stood, horrified at what was happening. "They need to stop!"  
Sora's eyes narrowed. He pushed through the crowd and rushed to the top of the stand. "Stop!" he shouted. "Let him go!"  
"You there," The man on the chair stood up, pointing at Sora. "Get down from there at once!"  
The gypsy woman who had showed Sora to the stage, ran to the top of the stand. "He will, Your Honor, as well as myself. But this boy is right, he needs justice. This isn't right." She drew a dagger and cut the ropes, releasing Quasimodo.  
"You dare defy me?" he shouted. "Captain Pheobus, arrest them!"  
"Sir," the captain responded, giving the order for three if his men to close in.

The woman stepped in front of Sora, whispering to him. "My name is Esmeralda. This may not be the time for introductions but thank you for doing that."  
"Sure," Sora whispered back. "And I'm Sora." The guards continued to close in, surrounding the stand.  
"I need you to trust me. Stay behind me." Esmeralda opened a small bag she had in her hand and dumped a pinch of the contents into the palm of her hand. The guards made it to the top of the stand and ran to seize them. Esmeralda waved her hand then threw the contents onto the floor, creating a small explosion of red smoke. The smoke cleared, Esmeralda, Quasimodo and Sora were gone. Too late to stop, the guards collided with each other then quickly stood up. They peered around the stand, searching around for where they had gone.  
"Search everywhere!" the Judge ordered.

"Where'd they go?" Kairi stood on her tiptoes, looking over the crowd.  
"Dunno," Roxas said, glancing around. Three figures running to the cathedral caught his eye. "There!" he pointed.  
"C'mon!" The group darted toward the cathedral.

Esmeralda ushered them inside and gently closed the door behind them.  
"Thank you," Quasimodo told her.  
"Don't mention it," she replied. "You should be safe here, a sanctuary."  
Sora heard a crack and turned, seeing the door slowly beginning to open. He wheeled around. "That's probably them. Is there anywhere you can hide?"  
"Here, follow me," Quasimodo motioned for them to follow. "Frolo might come shortly, but I think this will be the best place for now."  
He led them up a long wooden staircase. They reached the top and stepped out onto the wood floor. The room was filled with unique items, scattered along the floor. On the far end of the room was a stone balcony. Three gargoyle statues stood perched along the balcony wall.  
Esmeralda walked forward and looked down at the view. "It's beautiful," she smiled.  
"I'm going to head back to make sure the coast is clear," Sora said. "Will you two be okay?"  
"We should be fine, thank you."  
"Okay," Sora ran back down the stairs. He ran through the hall and into the chapel. The doors slowly opened and the group stepped inside the cathedral.  
"There you are," Roxas said. "What happened?"  
Sora shrugged. "She helped us get away. Do they know we're in here?"  
Riku shook his head. "I don't think so, it should be fine."

Esmeralda appeared around the corner. "He said he should be fine now," she whispered. "I should be going, Frolo might come in and I can't let him know I'm here."  
"Frolo?" Sora questioned. "You mean the old guy in the black robe?"  
Esmeralda let out a small laugh. "Yes, that's him. He is a judge here."  
"Does he have something against the festival? He seemed kind of ticked, even before any of that happened."  
"Gypsies," Esmeralda rolled her eyes. "Anyway, thanks again. "Oh, one more thing." She reached around her neck and pulled off a woven necklace. "Take this, I have a feeling you might have use for this later. Remember that when you wear this woven band you hold the city in your hand."  
Sora held the band to his level, examining the design. "Uh, okay. Thanks."

Esmeralda waved, turning to leave when the doors burst open. Frolo entered followed by the captain of the guard.  
"Captain Pheobus, arrest her them," Frolo commanded. Pheobus approached Esmeralda and stopped, hesitating.  
Esmeralda glared, "You-"  
"Claim 'sanctuary'," Pheobus whispered to her.  
"What?" Sora asked, puzzled.  
_"Captain, what are you waiting for?"_  
Pheobus turned around. "I can't arrest her because she claims Sanctuary in the cathedral. There's nothing I can do."  
Frolo glared. "Mark my words gypsy," he pointed. "Take one step outside and I will have you." He turned, motioning for Pheobus and left the cathedral. Sora watched as the doors shut, staring in disbelief. "Who does he think he is?"  
Esmeralda shook her head, "It doesn't matter. But it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere anytime soon."  
Sora glanced at a pillar, noticing a small movement out of the corner of his eye.  
Quasimodo stepped out, approaching the group timidly. "I never properly thanked you both for helping me," he said. "Follow me. I can help you out of here without being spotted by the guards."

They followed Quasimodo up a winding stone staircase until it led them up to an open room with wooden floorboards and rafters. An ornament made out of glass shards hung from the ceiling. On the other end of the room was a table with a carved wooden village, complete with small figurines of the townsfolk.  
"Whoa," Sora looked around the room. He only briefly came up here but never took much notice at what was there.  
"It's not much, but I do enjoy it," Quasimodo said. He turned around. "Oh, I'm sorry, never introduced myself. I'm Quasimodo."  
"I'm Sora," he began to introduce the rest of the group. "That's Riku, Kairi, Riuki..." he pointed to the others. Sora sighed, "Get everybody?"  
"Nice to meet you all," He faced Esmeralda. "Here, I'll take you down safely."  
She peered over the balcony. "You mean, climb down? Have you ever done this before?"  
"No, but it's doable," He jumped off and landed on a flat surface of stone four feet below.  
"Uh, are you sure?" Kairi looked over the edge. "It's a long way down- and kind of risky."  
"I trust him," Esmeralda took a deep breath and jumped over the side, landing in Quasimodo's arms.  
"You are all welcome to stay if you would like," Quasimodo told them. "Make yourselves at home. I'd like to thank you again for earlier. Okay, here we go.." He held on to her with one hand and jumped, catching onto a stone gargoyle below them. He walked along the stone edge and lept to a pillar. He grabbed on and began to slide down until they made it down safely to the base of the building. Esmeralda stood up and steadied herself. She gave him a hug, thanked him and ran off into the town.  
The group sat down at the table. Kairi wandered around looking at the different ornaments and statues placed around the room. A moment later, Quasimodo appeared from behind the balcony. "Oh, you stayed," he smiled. He hoisted himself to the other side, stepping forward to greet them.  
"These are really nice," Namine said, looking at the wooden village. "Did you make them?"  
"Yes," he nodded. "It's of the town." A door opened below and the sound of footsteps echoed. "Uh-oh!" he panicked. "Frolo. Um, hide in this room," he pointed at a small door in the back. The group rushed over and closed the door as Frolo made it to the top of the stairs.

They all shuffled and squeezed into the small closet-like room. Sora fought his way to the door, peering through the keyhole.  
"What's happening?" whispered Kairi.  
Sora squinted, trying to"Well, the old guy is really mad at him, and...what? Why'd he-?"  
_"Shh!"  
_"What?" Roxas quickly shoved him aside and peered through the hole. "The old guy's really mad. The Quasimodo's okay, but the other guy just torched the village of figurines. He's going back downstairs."  
Sora's eyes widened, realizing what it represented. If the figurines represented this town...

Sora pushed him aside, turning the doorknob. The door burst open and they fell into a giant heap on the floor. Sora quickly jumped to his feet, running toward Quasimodo. "Ah! He can't be serious?"  
"I'm afraid he is. Master never jokes around."  
Sora's jaw dropped. "Wha- well we have to go stop him! Now!"  
"Easy," Riku put a hand on Sora's shoulder to stop him from taking off. "Let's find out where he's going first."  
"Oh, he wouldn't do it himself," Quasimodo said. "He would send the soldiers to do it, but there is a chance he would accompany them."  
"We can't all go," Kairi said. "I can go with Namine. We could keep track of where they are, right? The guards aren't looking for us."  
"Yeah but,...You guys can't go alone! What if something happens?"  
"If we do our job right, we won't have to worry about that," Kairi smiled.  
Roxas shook his head. "I don't know," he glanced at Namine then back. "I don't really like that idea. We don't know much about this place, or where anything is." Kairi folded her arms.  
Namine smiled, putting a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "You do trust us don't you? We're not as reckless as you may think."  
"Hm," Roxas looked down. "Um, how about we let a group of four go? That sounds better."  
Sora grinned. "Okay. Riku, you stay here and keep an eye on things. We'll be back soon."  
"Alright."  
The two boys took off toward the stairs then paused. Sora pushed Roxas out of the way and let Namine and Kairi pass. The two boys looked at each other then darted down the stairs. The hall echoed with the sound of footsteps on the stone steps. Riku shook his head.

Sora opened the door a crack, peering through the small gap. He quickly shut the door. "We forgot about the guards! They're EVERYWHERE!"  
"See?" Kairi whispered. "That's why we wanted to go. The three of us can get away with it, but you can't." Sora sighed. It was their first time in the new world and he'd already gotten into trouble.  
"They might not be interested in you anymore," Namine said. "Remember, he gave them new orders."  
"Yeah, you're probably right," Sora put his hood on. They slipped out the doors, passing the guards, who eyed the group as they passed by.

A few blocks past the cathedral, Sora turned to the group. "Where next?"  
"We don't know where they're going yet," Kairi said. "So either we listen for news, follow them or wander on our own."

Scared walked down the street. There were guards around every corner, glaring at him as he passed. _Why was i sent here?_ he thought. _I had to be sent to the place with the scary guys!_ _All I have to do is get to the top of the tower and look for the secret door.  
_Two boys and girls ran passed Scared, one of the boys bumped passed him. "Oops, sorry!" he yelled back.

"Watch where you're going, Sora," Roxas joked.  
"Maybe I could, if you'd stop shoving me!"  
"Guys!" Kairi sighed. "Come on, they're getting away." The group continued to follow a group of soldiers with Frolo at the lead. The city itself was full of soldiers interrogating some and hauling others to the prison.  
"All this for getting Esmeralda?" Sora questioned. "That's crazy! And I was there too! We need to do something."  
"We are," Kairi whispered as they drew nearer to the group of soldiers.

_Boo floated along lazily after Sora, Roxas, and the girls. This place was so much fun! Silph would also be pleased that she wouldn't have to trail them herself. Mistress was probably very tired. Boo purred loudly and landed on Kairi's head. She was her favorite of the group beside_s, Critter.  
"Sora, shh," Kairi whispered, glancing around the corner at the soldiers.  
"It's not me!" He hissed. "Whoa! What's that?" Sora looked at what looked like a small ghost hovering above Kairi's head.  
"Huh?" Kairi followed Sora's gaze and jumped, seeing Boo. "Oh!"  
"What is it, a heartless?" Roxas asked, squinting at Boo.  
"I don't think so.." Kairi picked up Boo. "Aw, she's cute." Kairi smiled.  
"She?" Sora raised an eyebrow.  
"Well, she looks like a girl. Aw, cute," Kairi allowed Boo to hover again. "Hey, where did you come from?"

_Boo bobbed up and down then projected an image of Critter. She spun in a few circles, then projected Silph's face. It was one of Silph smiling and playing with Critter. Another image flashed of herself in the hands of Silph. She was sewing her together. Finished, she held her up and kissed her forehead. After that the images faded and Boo snuggled up to Kairi's cheek. That's where I come from, she thought happily._

"Who's that?" Sora questioned.  
"Is she here?" Kairi asked the small ghost-like creature.  
_Boo shook her head._  
"Hm, wonder who she is?"  
Sora shrugged.  
"Do you want to come with us?" Kairi asked Boo.  
"What if she's spying for that girl?" Sora folded his arms.  
"She doesn't look like someone who'd do that."_Boo spun around in a circle. She floated away for a bit, then returned. Adventure! This was an adventure! Let's go!  
_"Okay," Kairi smiled.

The group and Boo followed the soldiers to the top of a hill where a house sat next to a tall windmill. The soldiers dismounted and banged on the door. A man opened the door then stepped back, alarmed to see the soldiers.  
"Are you harboring gypsies here?" Frolo questioned, lifting a torch.  
The soldiers barged past the man and began searching his house. The man began talking frantically with Frolo. "Our doors are always open for the weary travelers. Have mercy, my Lord." Frolo looked down his nose at him. "I am placing you and your family under house arrest until I get to the bottom of this. If what you say is true then you have nothing to fear."  
"But we are innocent," exclaimed the man. "We know nothing of these gypsies!"  
A soldier pushed the man back inside and slammed the door closed. Frolo seized a spear from the closest soldier and barred the door. "Burn it," Frolo commanded, handing Pheobus the torch.  
"What?" Pheobus looked at the torch. "No," he stuck the torch inside the water-filled barrel.  
"You insulent coward," Frolo sneered. He grabbed another torch and began lighting the straw roof. The house burst into flames that climbed eagerly over the dry wood and straw. I caught the mill and screaming could be heard from inside. Pheobus looked around frantically before jumping through a window. Moments later the door crashed open and the family followed by Pheobus ran out. Pheobus handed over a child to their mother and smiled as he watched them hold each other for comfort.  
"How dare you!" Frolo snapped and ordered the guards to seize Pheobus. "Pity, becoming the captain could have been a promising job for you." Two soldiers seized Pheobus, who struggled against them. One took out his sword and hit Pheobus across the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. He fell to the ground unconcious. They picked him up and began walking back.

Sora ran forward, "That's enough!" He summoned his keyblade and rushed to Pheobus. The soldier turned around but Sora hit him across the back of the head.  
"Guys, I need your help to carry him!" he called back. Roxas ran forward to help Sora. The two of them lifted him up and ran back.  
"Well now what?" Roxas yelled over to Sora. "They're turning around and are going to catch up soon."  
"I don't know."  
"There you go again, acting before you think."  
"Well we couldn't just leave him there." Sora turned to see two guards on horses closing in. "Hang on I have an idea." Sora stopped and re-summoned his keyblade. "Fire!" He shouted as flames rushed out from the tip. The horses reared up in fear, throwing off their riders. Sora grabbed the reins of the closest one and stroked it to calm the creature down. "Right, now help me get him on."  
"Do you even know how to steer a horse?"  
It was then that Pheobus woke up. Without so much as a glance he jumped onto the horses back. "It can't hold us all," The horse rushed forward. "Get on the other one."  
"Sora, get of that one with him, to help hold him up," Roxas shouted running to another horse. "I'll take Kairi and Namine."  
"What?" Sora realized.  
"Focus!"

The horses took off toward the bridge to town. "After them!" Frolo yelled. Soldiers gathered up their horses, mounted and took off. An arrow whizzed past Sora.  
"You're kidding me!" He looked back to see the soldiers close behind, firing their arrows.  
"Keep going!" Kairi yelled. The horses ran across the bridge and arrows continued to rain down all around them.  
"This is one of the reasons why we shouldn't have let the girls come!" Sora shouted.  
"Just keep going!" Kairi repeated. Sora glanced back and ducked, watching an arrow fly past where his head was. He felt the top of his head to make sure everything was still there. "Phew," he sighed. He looked at Pheobus. "Oh!" An arrow stuck out of his right shoulder. Sora looked behind and pointed his keyblade at the ground in front of the soldiers. "Fire!" he yelled. A flame burst from the tip of the blade and struck the ground in front of the horses. They reared up, knocking their riders off.  
"Yes!" Sora grinned and continued toward the Cathedral.

"Here they come," Quasimodo pointed down over the edge.  
Riku walked over to take a look.  
"I didn't know he could steer a horse."  
Riku watched Sora with an eyebrow raised. "Um, I don't think he does."  
They peered over the balcony watching as the horse zig-zagged below, having a difficult time staying on the path while Roxas' tried keeping up.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Sora pulled on the reins, trying to slow the horse down. It began to trot then came to a halt. The group dismounted. "Here, help me carry him, he's still out." The two of them carried him through the cathedral, trying to avoid as many people as they could. They all made it up to the tower and collapsed, exhausted.  
"What happened?" Quasimodo asked.  
"Frolo just burned a family's house down! He's going insane! This guy jumped in and saved them but then the old guy got mad and now has some sort of price over his head." Sora stood up. "He's been following us too. We need to help him, he's injured."  
Quasimodo showed them the side room, which looked more like a closet, and placed him down on top of a blanket. He closed the door and sighed. "He's not going to be pleased once he finds out."  
"Don't worry," Sora smiled. "We can take care of it."

"Take care of what?" Frolo came up the stairs, his arms folded. Quasimodo's eyes went wide. "So you have been assisting them?" Frolo asked menacingly. "Helped the gypsy girl, no doubt. Well, not matter. You see, I do not need to worry about any of you. You, Quasimodo, are stuck here in this tower for life. Your friends, however, are going to have to leave at some point- in which case my soldiers will attend to."  
"As for the gypsy," Frolo continued. "My soldiers and I are already aware of the whereabouts of her and the Court of Miracles. We will be striking tonight at dawn." He turned and began walking down the stone steps. "This will soon come to an end."  
Sora clenched his fist, Riku put a hand on his shoulder to restrain him. Frolo disappeared around the corner.

"What now?" Roxas shook his head.  
we have no idea where that 'Court of Miracles' place is or even how to get there."  
Quasimodo paused. "Hm, the Court of Miracles is where they say all the gypsies live in the city, but no one quite knows where it is."  
"Sora," Kairi realized. "Show them the necklace she gave you."  
"Oh," Sora pulled the band out of his pocket, holding it up. "This?"  
"Wait, please, let me see," Sora gave the band to Quasimodo. "Did she say what this is supposed to be?"  
"I don't think so.." Sora thought.  
"Wait, this could be a map."  
"How?"  
"See the cross there? That's the Cathedral," Quasimodo pointed. "The small "" could be where the Court of Miracles is located. Let's give it a try. Are you all coming?"  
"Guess so," Riku said. "It's probably best we all stay together."  
Sora nodded, "Kay. We need someone here to watch over the captain."  
"I will," Namine volunteered.  
"I'll stay too," Roxas offered.  
"Alright," Sora gestured to the group. "C'mon!"

Once they got out of the Cathedral, Quasimodo lead the way through the city. As they continued on, the number of houses and shops began to dwindle. Quasimodo opened a gate, leading them into a large graveyard. The sun was almost set.  
"Okay, where now?" Sora asked.  
Quasimodo wandered through the rows of graves. "I think it's this one. See? It has the same mark on it."  
"How do we get in?" Sora felt the base for an opening.  
"Here," Quasimodo held onto the sides of the stone and slid the top off. Inside were steps leading into a dark tunnel.  
"Oh.. Okay," Sora scratched the back of his head. "After you, Riku."  
"Aw, come on," Kairi stepped in front, descending the stairs. "We'll be fine," Kairi continued down. It gradually became darker and darker as they descended.  
"Anyone have some sort of light?" Riku asked.  
"Sorry Riku," Sora shook his head. The sun set completely and the tunnel became pitch black.  
_"Ouch! Someone stepped on my foot."_  
_"Oh, sorry Kairi."_  
_"I'm not Kairi."_  
"Guys, head to the right, try to find a wall or something." They began to grope through the dark. "This is ridiculous."

Suddenly, the room lit up. "That's better," Sora sighed. "Wait-" he glanced around the room. They were surrounded by people in what looked like skeleton costumes, holding torches. They grabbed for the group and began to take them down the tunnel.  
"Hey! Let us go!" Sora struggled.  
"Now what have we here?" A man in a jester costume and a purple hat stepped in front of them, studying the struggling group. "Spies? You were seen with that judge, were you not? Come! We shall find what to do with you."  
The group was taken into a large open room, which looked more like an underground city.  
"Gather 'round everybody!" Clopin announced. "We have a..." He paused, counting the group members. "Seven hangings tonight."  
"Hangings?" Sora managed to shout out before being gagged. What was this?

They were forced up the the steps to guillotine. "Wha- are you kidding?" Sora tried to argue through the gag.  
"Shh!" Clopin stood in front of them as they were forced into a line. "Bring the first!"  
"Wait, we're here to warn you! It's a mistake!" Quasimodo shouted while the gag was brought over his mouth.  
Esmeralda walked through the crowd and spotting the group. Her eyes went wide will realization.

"So sorry, but here we start!" Clopin popped his fingers and placed his hands on the lever.  
"Stop!" Esmeralda shouted.  
She ran up to the front of the crowd. "They were the ones who helped me escape. They're friends."  
"Oh, why didn't you say so in the first place?" Clopin released the lever and ordered the removal of their gags.  
"We did!" Sora huffed.

"What is it?" Esmeralda asked.  
"Frolo," Quasimodo replied. "He's coming now, you all need to get out!"  
"What?" Esmeralda ran onto the stand. "Everyone, gather your things and get out!" The crowd scattered as people rushed to gather their things.  
"Thank you-" Esmeralda turned to the group, but was interrupted by a series of shouts and screaming. Soldiers poured in at the entrance, seizing whoever they could. Frolo followed, watching.  
"I must thank you for your help Quasimodo, and your friends. We couldn't have found it without you."  
"You followed?" Sora asked in disbelief.  
"Yes. Seize them," Frolo ordered. The group was seized once again. "Take them to the square. We will be having a bonfire which they are all invited to attend."  
"You've got to be kidding.." Sora looked down. "What next?"

Namine looked over the balcony. It had already been a few hours. When were they going to return? Lights from the distance caught her eye. "Roxas, come here!" She pointed. He ran over to the side and looked down.  
"Great." Soldiers filed in, hauling cages on horseback to the square in front of the Cathedral. In the center, a post was placed on top of a stand while a soldier placed wood around it for preparation.  
"Bring them here," Frolo ordered. The group was brought forward. Frolo walked around them, stopping at Esmeralda. "She will be first. Begin."

Sora and the others were put into cages to await their turn as they tied Esmeralda to the post. Frolo grabbed at torch and faced her. "It's time to choose gypsy. Me or the fire."  
Esmeralda's eyes narrows and spat at his face.  
"No," Frolo wiped his face. "Very well then." His face tensed.

Roxas turned. "Stay here, I'll see what I can do." He started for the stairs. His foot caught on something and he fell flat on his face. "What-?"  
Rebel smiled, standing up straight. "Sorry about that," he said, folding his arms.  
"Why are you here?" Roxas quickly got up and stood between him and Namine.  
"Easy, I'm not here for you or your girlfriend. Well I guess I was given orders but those can be delayed- whatever. I'm here to give you some advice."  
"Like we need it," Roxas's eyes narrowed. "Last time you said that, we nearly died."  
"You did great getting out of it by the way. You all will have to go back and finish what you started at that world. But that's later. Now, you have another kind of problem, am I right?" Rebel gestured outside. "Listen, if you leave now, you won't make it, so you might as well stay here."  
"I'm not doing that, they'll all die!"  
"Which is why you need my help. Face it, you're not going to be able to stop all that down there on your own. What do you say? I help you in return for a little help from all of you."  
Roxas hesitated. "What do you want?"  
"Just continue doing what you are doing. Do that, and I'll help this once. But I guess if you wait to respond, you won't have as many people to worry about saving. Maybe you're right."  
"Okay, fine. Let's go."  
Rebel grinned. "If you say so," he saluted Namine and disappeared through a dark mist along with Roxas.

Sora tugged on the bars as the guards prepared to set the post on fire. "You're not going to get away with this! Just wait tell I get out!"  
Riku rolled his eyes. "Did you forget about your keyblade?"  
"Oh right." Sora somewhat blushed as he summoned it and unlocked the cage door.  
The flames began to rise at the base of the post, Esmeralda shut her eyes tight.

Rebel walked out of the portal, followed by Roxas. "They're already out? What were you gonna to do?"  
Rebel watched as Sora and Riku rushed up to the post. "Huh, what? You say something?" Rebel yawned. "Oh, right. Go on and help them, I'll jump in when I'm needed."  
Roxas looked at him in disbelief, then rushed to the square.

"Untie her!" Riku called over to Sora. "I'll open the other cages."  
Sora rushed over and began to untie the bindings around her hand. A flame rose up between them. "Ow!" Sora drew back. He looked down at his keyblade. _Right.._ he thought to himself. He sliced down at the bindings and ran in front to catch Esmeralda before she landed in the flames. "You okay?" he asked. She didn't respond. "Riku, help me get her up to the tower, she's out." Riku unlocked the last cage then ran over.  
Frolo stood up. "Don't stand there, idiots, get them!" Soldiers rushed to the group and released prisoners.  
"Guys!" Sora called to the group. "Come here, hurry!" Riku picked Esmeralda up and followed the group up the stone steps.  
Frolo walked to the empty post, watching as the group began to escape into the building. "No, get them!" None of the soldiers seemed to have heard the command. The flames that had scattered along the pole had began to spread across the wood stand. He turned and began walking toward the Cathedral.

Rebel looked up. "Okay, guess I can step in now. Scared, you're up soon." Rebel started toward Frolo. He stopped by the fire. Frolo continued forward, a look of determination on his face. Rebel stuck his leg out as he passed. Frolo's eyes widened as he tripped over and landed in the flames. Frolo called out in agony as the flames crept up and engulfed him. Rebel closed his eyes and stood up. "Ouch," He grinned, looking up toward the tower. Scared should be there any minute now. He began to walk up the Cathedral's steps.  
The minister stood in the door way staring at Rebel in shock. Rebel smirked at him as he blocked his path glaring.  
"Yeah I pushed him. What are you going to do about it?" He entered the to do now but wait.  
Rebel sat down on the nearest bench and leaned back, resting his hands behind his head.

_**It's been awhile since I posted so I decided to make the chapter longer than usual ^_^ The next is soon to come!**_


	14. Intervention

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

_**~Another chapter is here! I hope the order of the post isn't too confusing.. there was a lot happening at once, jumping back and forth from the group and the fight with Rebel vs Sarcasm! This was a fight Bella and I were looking forward to. I was hoping to extend it but we had to cut it short due to the progression of the story. Sarcasm's fighting style is very unique but fitting to his personality. Since he's Bella's character, she spent some time figuring out what it might be like. [She also composed a song for his theme :D ]**_

_**Hikari, Bella and I have also decided to expand the story a bit XD Once we are finished with this, we will start our sequel (I guess it's Kingdom Hearts 4 haha). Hikari and I have schemed over the past few months and come up with an interesting plot line, somewhat following the story of **Birth by Sleep** [So excited for the release this year!]. We also decided to do our own version of **358/2 Days** in Kingdom Hearts: Origins. This is the story of the Order and how they came to be. It takes place during **358/2 Days** until the end of **Kingdom Hearts 2**. We are all excited to see more of the Order in this story as well as reveal past events (which surprisingly fit perfect with the storyline Disney and Square Enix have planned).**_

_**Chapter 14!**_

Sora sighed, reaching the top of the tower's steps.  
"Close call," Kairi said, taking a breath. Quasimodo set a blanket down on the ground, laying Esmeralda down on top.  
Roxas walked over to the balcony. "Do you think they'll follow us?" Riku shrugged.  
Namine ran over to join her friends. "Is she alright?"  
"She'll be fine." Riku answered, seeing the concern on both Namine and Quasimodo's face.  
"What about the Captian?"  
"He should be waking up any minute now."  
Quasimodo looked over at the scene going on below the cathedral. "There's a huge ruckus outside so I doubt many will get in. You guys go, I'll stay here and watch over these two."  
"We can't leave how will we know if you guys are safe."  
"They will be." The minister walked into the room. "They're under protection of the church."  
"See," Quasimodo smiled. "We'll be fine."  
"But we can't exactly leave through the front doors." Kairi looked down. "Not with all that going on."  
"You can get out the same way as I took Esmeralda. Follow me." Quasimodo lead the group to the roof and was about to show them how to get down when he noticed a figure watching them timidly.

Scared hesitantly approached the bells. _Okay, all I have to do is ring the bell three times and the door will open._ He rung the bell as quiet as possible and a black door appeared under it. He opened it thinking to himself, _AHHHHHHHHHH!_ In the door he saw two yellow eyes glowing. "Okay it's time to come out now." He quickly jumped to the side as the creature shot out of the door. It sent out a shock wave that rang the bells loudly.

"What's he doing?" Roxas shouted over the ringing bells.  
"He's probably with that group!" Sora rushed over to Scared, summoning his keyblade. "Stop!"

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"So when were you going to tell me about the fireworks?" Sarcasm whispered into Rebel's ear. "You've been a naughty little boy."  
"Didn't think you'd be interested," Rebel answered casually.  
Sarcasm glanced up to where the bells were ringing. He couldn't see them, but the sound echoed wildly around the cathedral. "I wasn't. Not until you started getting me involved. Your actions are starting to become a problem for me, and for a dear friend of mine."  
Rebel stretched and sat down on the nearest pew. "By 'friend' are you referring to Silph?" Rebel asked curiously. "Because if that's true, I heard that you were also given orders to do away with her."  
Sarcasm stepped back. How did he know? "That is my business," he growled. "You just stay away from her."  
"Relax," Rebel laughed. "I have other things to take care of. Silph's the least of my concerns." His thoughts digressed to what Sarcasm had said. Things might have got slightly easier for him now. That is, if things don't work out. "So tell me, what is it I've done that has made complications for you or her? Just out of curiosity."  
"As if you didn't know," said Sarcasm. "Joy's death might have appeared to be an accident, but Lem and Lam? Even Confused almost got herself killed because of you. Then there's your little scheme with Scared here. What exactly is it that you're trying to pull?" At this point Sarcasm kicked Rebel's bench over with him on it. "Because of the stunts you're pulling Silph knows something she shouldn't, and Passiva could make her a personal target- not just use me. If not for you, maybe I wouldn't have to take Silph out!"  
Sarcasm reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a gauntlet. He threw this on the floor and slid back a few feet. "Get up." He smiled wickedly. "We're going to have ourselves a bit of a showdown. Let's see if you can handle it, you traitor."  
"Traitor?" Rebel smiled. "I wouldn't go so far as to say _traitor_. It's more for the good of the Order, that's all. You'll know soon enough, now's just not the time." He yawned and put his hands behind his head. "Alright," he grinned. "I can't do much else yet anyways." He kicked the bench off and rose to his feet.

Sarcasm put his right foot forward and began to slide across the floor back and forth, like he was skating on ice. "Do you think you can even land a hit?" He laughed waiting for Rebel's move.  
Rebel shrugged, the twin-hooked swords appearing in each hands. "Maybe I don't have to. I can just wait for you."  
Sarcasm smirked. "That confident, huh?" He slid slowly left, but as he began to slide right he disappeared in a blur. He appeared a second later inches in front of Rebel's face. "Don't make me laugh."  
"Nice," Rebel grinned. He struck his right hook forward, advancing a step while keeping his left turned up behind him.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

The creature flew quickly around the tower and landed in front of Scared with a crash. It was a giant skeleton gargoyle. "Um. . .hi." Scared trembled.  
"What's he trying to do?" Kairi asked, eying the gargoyle-like heartless.  
"I don't want to find out," Sora head toward the gargoyle, motioning for Riku to follow. Roxas followed as they made their way toward the giant heartless.  
The Stone Gargoyle heartless stared at Scared with a cocked head. "Okay we need to find the two girls from Twilight Town. The boss has plans for them. Why are you so scary? I had to pick the one pet that makes me jump when I see it." With that he walked over to the heartless and touched it with his hand very gently. He quickly pulled his hand back to see if it did anything. He sighed then leaped on the creature. The heartless bolted forward, taking off.  
"Ahh! Watch out for the-" The gargoyle ran right into the wall and fell to the ground in pieces. Scared fell to the floor with a thump. "Please watch where you are going next time," he said as he stood up. The pieces then began to shake. Then one by one they jumped up and began to form the gargoyle. Once it was complete Scared mounted the heartless, aimed, and took of into a portal.

"You serious? It's gone already?" Sora kicked a pebble and dismissed his keyblade.  
"Twilight Town?" Roxas paused, then looked up with realization. "Guys, we need to get back. Hayner and the rest of them are there. Same with the two girls that-"  
"-Oh great.." Kairi interrupted, shaking her head. "The 'two girls' might be them."  
Esmeralda walked in with a slight smile on her face. "Thank you all for your help, that was really nice of all of you. Pheobus is awake now. He claims it's just a small wound but we will still tend to him."  
Quasimodo looked over the side of the balcony. "Things have cleared up, I think we can take it from here. You've all done great, you deserve to go help your friends."  
"You sure?"  
Quasimodo and Esmeralda nodded. "Good luck!"  
"You too," Sora smiled. Roxas made a portal and the group ran inside.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Sarcasm slid easily out of the way, countering with a jab to Rebel's back with his elbow.  
Rebel swung his right shuangguo around while Sarcasm delivered the blow. Sarcasm avoided it once again, sliding toward the left. The two of them stopped while a loud crashing sound echoed from above. A few loose stones fell from the ceiling. The two stepped back and the stones landed in between them. They looked at each other, shrugged and continued. "So what would you do, if I decided to carry out the order to eliminate Silph before you ever got the chance to?" Rebel threw his left shuangguo in the air and slashed his right one at it so that the two ends of the hooks caught onto each other midair. He grabbed each handle and twisted them the opposite direction until it snapped into place, giving his weapon extra length. He grasped the left handle and stood, waiting for Sarcasm's next move.  
Sarcasm stopped swaying from side to side and grinned at Rebel. "It's quite simple, really," he said. "I'd kill you!" He sped forward and slammed into Rebel sending them both rolling across the floor.  
"Oh," Rebel said plainly. He disappeared in a wisp of black mist. "You could try," Rebel taunted. "Truth is, I don't think you really have it in you." The mist reformed behind Sarcasm and Rebel delivered a vertical slash across Sarcasm's back, then kicked him down. Rebel twisted his weapon and it broke apart into the original twin-hooked sword. He stabbed the right one onto the ground, inches away from Sarcasm and pointed the left at his chest.

Sarcasm laughed. "Not now, no," he said. "But maybe later." He disappeared and reappeared a few feet in front of Rebel. He scratched his head and turned to face him. "You know, I don't think you have it in you either." He carefully watched Rebel's expression. He seemed annoyed, but it could have been Sarcasm's imagination. He smirked and turned his back to Rebel and looked over his shoulder to see his expression. "Not even a scratch, Rebel," he smirked. "You're not serious at all. Are you trying to toy with me? Or are you just really predictable?" Sarcasm shrugged. "You always were the type to stab your friend in the back. I just called your move."  
"You should know I'm neither," he pulled the hooked sword from out of the ground. He leaned against his left sword and relaxed the right one over his shoulder as he talked. "I have a question for you then, how serious are you about the Order? How committed are you? Because you seem to be having second thoughts lately as well. You thoroughly carried out orders like the rest of the group up 'til now. What's changed your mind?"  
Sarcasm hesitated. Rebel wasn't exactly the first person he would have chosen to go to for a confession. Especially after the current events at hand. After a while he shrugged and walked a few paces towards the stained glass window. "I guess you could say I don't really care much at this point." He looked up at the multiple colors, some having been cracked by whatever ruckus was occurring upstairs. "I was minding my own business in Agrabah when Passiva sent a babysitter after me. It was a pain, but the girl had a charm all her own." Sarcasm chuckled to herself. "Silph has quite the temper when you get her angry. When I first met her I must have done something to annoy her because she hit me with something. Whatever it was left quite the mark." Sarcasm lifted the hair off the base of his neck to show a wicked scar. He turned back to face Rebel and said, "I don't ever remember getting a single scratch in my entire life, and in the whole two seconds I had met her I get this!"

Rebel chuckled. "Tough. But I still don't see why you don't just carry out the order, even if it's not necessary. The reason is Silph just knows too much, why else would Passiva want her eliminated?" He fixed his gauntlet and picked up the left hooked-sword. "Jest has it easy being number two. A lot gets around to her in the end while the rest of us are left in the dark." Rebel got into his stance and rushed, his body almost a blur, toward Sarcasm. Sarcasm easily slid out of the way to avoid the right hook, but was caught around the neck with his left. Sarcasm stepped on the free hook and grabbed hold of the other when the two of them heard a small applause.

"Great show!" Jest grinned. "Most amusing, but don't you two have other items to attend to?"  
Rebel dismissed his weapons and the two of them took a step away from each other. "Didn't expect to see you here."  
Jest shrugged, her moogle appearing in her hand. "It's not my show yet, I have to wait a little longer to play puppeteer with my toys. But I have a new pet now," she smiled.  
Rebel didn't care to ask what she meant. Jest's twisted humor was usually that way, he learned to let it go.

"I guess I'll take my leave then," said Sarcasm. "Apparently I have something I need to do." He walked over to where his gauntlet lay and picked it up. He stared at it for a moment before shrugging and putting it back in his pocket. "We were just playing, Jest. No harm done, as usual. Maybe you should try it sometime. Relaxes the nerves. Anyway, later." He disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

Jest put her hands on her hips and raised and eyebrow. "What was that about?"  
Rebel shrugged, "It's what he said. Ease the tension. By the way," his tone of voice dropped to a more serious tone. "Anything new?"  
Jest sighed. "Yeah.." She hugged her moogle and cocked her head. "Why do you want to know so bad? If she found out you knew you'll be eliminated."  
"Then she shouldn't find out," he smiled. "Sounds like the better alternative."  
"Follow me," a portal of mist appeared and she walked through, followed by Rebel. The mist disappeared behind them.

**_Two posts for today, I think I'll call it good ^_^ More to come tomorrow! _**


	15. Reward

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

_**Hikari, Bella and I have also decided to expand the story a bit XD Once we are finished with this, we will start our sequel (I guess it's Kingdom Hearts 4 haha). Hikari and I have schemed over the past few months and come up with an interesting plot line, somewhat following the story of **Birth by Sleep** [So excited for the release this year!]. We also decided to do our own version of **358/2 Days** in Kingdom Hearts: Origins. This is the story of the Order and how they came to be. It takes place during **358/2 Days** until the end of **Kingdom Hearts 2**. We are all excited to see more of the Order in this story as well as reveal past events (which surprisingly fit perfect with the storyline Disney and Square Enix have planned). **If you have any requests for certain worlds, feel free to post them in the **review **and we'll take them into consideration!** We'd love to hear what you have in mind!**_

**_~Chapter 15 is kinda short... but necessary to prep coming events! Some of my favorite events are coming in the next few chapters, all leading up to the final battle with Passiva (which we are in the process of writing now!) Here's the next chapter:: :_**

"Yeah right you big loser!" Yuki stuck her tongue at Hayner, being pulled away by Amu.  
"Whatever," Hayner said curtly, being pulled by Pence and Olette.  
Amu continued to pull the struggling Yuki. "Okay, I think you made it clear to him. Let's just go back to the Common and get some ice cream."  
"Ice cream?" Hayner yelled. "You've been copying us!"  
"Hayner," Olette groaned. "Everyone here eats it!"  
Yuki stopped struggling and smiled, noticing the last comment provoked Hayner's irritation. "Alright," she complied. "Let's go get some ice cream then. That way I don't have to sit around here listening to 'it' rant on about-"  
"What'd you say?" Hayner shouted.  
"Hayner!" Olette and Pence held on tighter to restrain him while Amu and Yuki walked away toward Tram Common.

Yuki smiled, licking her sea-salt ice cream. Amu sat down on the sidewalk, glancing at the accessory shop down the street. "You think we need to get another job?"  
"Why?" Yuki asked.  
Amu shrugged. "Just a thought. It's still summer vacation so we'd have more time for one, maybe earn a little more."  
"Hm," Yuki finished off her ice cream. "Maybe." She looked at her pop cycle stick and tossed it. "Aw. It's not a 'winner'."  
A black mist bursted out of the wall behind them. The two girls screamed and stepped back as what looked like a gargoyle came out, followed by a man.  
"What's that? Some kind of skeleton-bird-thing?" Yuki squinted at it. The man next to the creature looked timid and flinched whenever it flapped its wings. The gargoyle shot forward toward the two girls. They ducked, rushing forward to the wall with the dark smoke, maintaining a distance from it. The gargoyle turned around and roared. Yuki snatched Amu's ice cream from her hand and threw it at the gargoyle. The creature shivered, shaking it off.  
"What was that about?" Amu threw her hands in the air.  
"It was a distraction!" Yuki frowned. The two of them backed up as the creature prepared to lunge. The smoke on the wall began to creep around and pull them in.  
"What is it?" Amu struggled. Yuki tried to help get it off but the mist began to pull them inside. Yuki grabbed Amu attempting to pull them both out. The mist crept up and pulled inside.  
"Hey!" Yuki protested, being engulfed by the mist. The gargoyle followed inside.  
"Um, okay..." Scared entered inside and the mist dispersed.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Sora rushed out the portal and darted to the Usual Spot. "Sora!" Kairi yelled trying to keep up. Roxas appeared next to Sora. They arrived at the Usual Spot and walked inside. Olette was sitting on the couch shaking her head as Hayner rambled off about something while throwing darts at the board.  
"Hayner?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"  
"Ignore him," Olette sighed. "He ran into someone recently and hasn't quite gotten over their last encounter."  
"Olette, do you know Yuki or Amu?"  
She nodded. "That's who she ran into. Then Amu broke them up."  
"Where'd they go? Are they okay?"  
Olette paused. "Um, I think so. They said they were going to the Commons and eating ice cream.. Why? Did something happen?"  
"We don't know," Sora looked down. "We'll go see. Thanks, and good luck Hayner."

They ran out of the Usual Spot as soon as the group caught up.  
"Guys! Wait up!" Kairi sighed.  
Boo floated after Kairi and landed on her head, purring. This was a fun game. Almost as fun as chasing heartless.  
Kairi smiled as Boo purred happily and continued to follow the group. They caught up to Sora and Roxas and stopped, giving themselves a moment to catch their breaths.

"The town's pretty big," Roxas stated. "There's a chance that they might have gone somewhere else."  
Sora shook his head. "Maybe, but that guy said-"  
"Sora," Kairi interrupted. "If he said he was going to kidnap someone, then we should be going after him. He could've been referring to someone else, and if that's the case then we need to go soon to find them. If he didn't take Amu or Yuki then they're here, safe."  
"Alright.." Sora gave in. "Let's get going."

Roxas created a portal and the group followed inside. Kairi stepped out and shivered, feeling a chill through the air. "Why are we back in Halloween Town?"  
"Figured there was still that girl here- the one that works for that group Rebel does," Roxas said. "Maybe we can get some information out of her."  
"You crazy? She almost killed us!" Sora reminded him.  
"If she's dangerous then we needed to come back here anyway."  
"Okay fine," Sora nodded. "Let's stay together this time." Everyone nodded in agreement.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Passiva looked over the balcony down at the dark city below her. A mist of darkness appeared form behind, Scared emerging timidly.  
"I did what you said." He mumbled trying not to look Passiva in the eye. "I sent the girls to Love and Confused."  
A slight smile formed on her face. "That's good to hear." She turned back around, watching the view over the dark city. The silence worried him. He never liked confronting the other members- especially Passiva.  
"Good work," she turned around, grasping her sword in her right hand. Scared's eyes widened, eyes focusing on the blade. "Um, anything else?" he asked, hesitantly, tempted to flee from the scene.  
"There's one more item of business I would like to take care of before proceeding. I would like to reward you for your assistance," she said gently. Passiva's calm tone provoked Scared's concern. "That's alright," he said, taking a step back toward the wall. "I-I think I'll just go."  
Passiva's eyes were dark, her face serious. She raised her sword horizontal to the floor, level with his chest.  
Scared stared wide-eyed at the blade. "W-wait! But I did my job! I- I did it right!"  
Passiva smiled. "Exactly." She thrusted her sword forward.

_**Guess that's a good stopping place for this chapter! Poor Scared... :( **_

_**The rest is soon to come! Next chapter: Despair**_


	16. Despair

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

_****__Chapter Note_**_ ~Nightmare Before Christmas has always been one of my favorite shows! I was overjoyed when I found they inserted it into the Kingdom Hearts series! Such a fun world! _**_********__Even though it has hit every game in the series thus far, we decided to throw it into the mix as well XD Although there isn't much interaction with the characters of this world, it still has a great deal of importance to the plot._

_********____**:: : Thank you **____Aldamonburst_******__****and **___ForestRunner_******__****for your reviews! We appreciate your feedback!**  
The reason why we have curtailed Nobody and Heartless attacks is because we decided to focus more on the storyline instead of Heartless encounters in our fanfic. They are there but we have left many of their scenes out. Later there will be more but not nearly as much as in the game itself. We designed a few 'soulless' beings for the Order to control as well but they were cut out from the final story. In Kingdom Hearts 2, they mention how Heartless follow whoever is the strongest, which was why the Heartless obeyed Siax over Maleficent. At that time, the Organization appeared to be more powerful than Maleficent. Now, the Order has control of them, being the stronger of the existing groups.  
I hope that answers some questions ^_^' 

**_~ Major editing to this chapter... so difficult to cut certain events. On with chapter 16!_**

"Where do you think she is?" Sora looked around.  
"Probably where we met her last time." Riku answered. They all turned towards the graveyard. The sounds of moaning from the strange heartless could be heard.  
"I hope Jack and his friends are alright.." Sora looked down. "We haven't seen hardly anyone since we arrived."  
Sora took a step forward, Riku held up an arm to prevent him from entering the graveyard. "Don't you think we should think it through this time?"  
Sora nodded. "Good idea.. but how would we prepare for it? We don't know anything about her. What do we do? Axel?"  
"No," Roxas cut in. "We know that she controls those heartless and we already know how to take care of those. The problem we had last time was she made us freeze in place, like we were paralyzed."  
"There was a weird feeling I felt whenever she was around," Kairi said. "It got cold too. After I saw her, I couldn't move."  
Roxas looked up. "Maybe that's it then. Just don't look at her and you won't freeze."  
"But wait," Sora frowned. "How are we supposed to fight her if we can't see what she's doing? It's almost an impossible fight."  
"Maybe. Namine, did you have that same feeling when you saw her?"  
Namine paused. "No.. I couldn't feel anything."  
"Neither could I," Roxas turned toward Sora. "Maybe it only affects you if you have a heart?"  
Sora paused, thinking. "I guess.. but what if that's not the case?"  
"Then Axel's our scapegoat."  
"Okay."

Roxas stepped ahead of the group and walked into the graveyard. "Wait," Namine ran up to the front to join him. "She tried to kill you before."  
"She tried to kill all of us," Roxas said.  
"Yes, but she addressed you specifically as an Organization XIII member. After you confirmed, she tried to attack you."  
Sora was puzzled. "Do they have something against the Organization? How would they even know them?"  
"I don't know," Roxas shook his head. "I don't remember if the Organization even came in contact with them when I was there."  
"What about Axel?" Sora offered. "Would he know anything?"  
"Guess it's worth a shot," Roxas pulled the red orb out of his jacket pocket. "Um, what do I do, rub it?"  
The orb burst into flames. "Hey!" Roxas dropped the orb. The flames crept higher and higher until they began to take shape of a human figure. The fire died down, Axel now standing in place. He stretched.  
"Rub it? Really Roxas."  
Roxas scratched the back of his head. "Like I'd know!"  
Axel shook his head. "So anyway... need something?"  
Sora nodded. "Do you know if the Organization came in contact with this new group? Like the creepy girl here?"  
"Hm.." Axel paused. "Nope. Not ringing any bells."  
"Really?" Roxas asked, disappointed. "Then why do they have something against the Organization?"  
"Beats me," Axel folded his arms. "I've never heard of them before, but they might have ran into some other members of the Organization. Take Saix for example. If he met any of them he would report to Xemnas and not a word would leak out to the rest of us. Anyway, what is it you are going to do now?"  
"We're looking for that one girl- to see if we can get anything out of her."  
"And if not? You better do a better job, because I've already saved your necks once and don't plan on doing it again."  
"Fair enough," Roxas grinned.  
"See ya." Axel saluted and disappeared. Roxas picked up the orb and placed it back in his jacket pocket. "Let's go."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Sorrow waited at the clearing where the doors to the other holiday worlds lay. She knew the group was coming, her heartless had seen them. She didn't have them attack. She wanted the pleasure, if she could feel pleasure, of killing the nobody herself.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

The group crept through the graveyard, careful not to be seen by the heartless as they made their way to the woods.  
Sora motioned for the group to follow. "Where do you think she's-?" Kairi started. Sora put his hand up to stop her, then pointed ahead. "You feel that?" A strong chill ran through the air. She nodded slowly. The group followed a faint dirt path from the graveyard to the woods. The trail widened and merged with a wide clearing. In the center of the clearing was Sorrow. She raised her head, her eyes now covered once again by the black ribbon. She looked at the group, studying them- although it was unclear to them if she could see.  
Sora opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated. "What is it you guys want?"  
Sorrow disregarded the question, focusing on the group.  
"Hey," Sora tried to take a step forward but stumbled, unable to move his legs. "Wha-? Hold on-"  
Riku shook his head. "Stay back," he whispered. "Wait."  
"I can't move!" Sora argued.  
Sora looked at Riku motioning for help.

Sorrow turned her head toward Roxas, then focusing on the rest of the group. She opened the palm of her left hand, a black mist spiraled around it. The mist collected and formed into a claw-shaped gauntlet. Sorrow slashed the gauntlet once through the air. A similar black mist crept from the gauntlet and around the girls, then disappeared.  
"Sora," Kairi panicked. "I can't move at all."  
"Great," he moaned. "This again.."

Roxas took a step forward to make sure he could still move. He summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion. "Can any of you still move?" he asked.  
Riku summoned his keyblade. "Yeah," he replied. "Maybe she isn't able to paralyze people who can wield the darkness?"  
"Maybe," Roxas shrugged. "Either way, let's just take advantage of the fact we're not."  
Riku nodded. "We need to make sure she doesn't get to any of them. Cover from behind."  
" 'Kay."

Sorrow stood, patiently. She knew she didn't have to make the first move. She just needed to wait for him to attack and the nobody would fall right into her trap.

Sora looked down at his keyblade. He felt so useless. "Riku, move!" Riku turned, taking a step to the side. Sora aimed the blade toward Sorrow, "Fire!" A ball of flame shot from the tip.  
Without taking her gaze off of the group, she slowly raised her gauntlet. The claw opened, absorbing the flame. It ran up the gauntlet and disappeared.  
Roxas narrowed his eyes. Does she absorb magic? He took a step back and pointed his keyblades at her. The tips of the blades gave off a bright glow of yellow light and shot out at Sorrow. She repeated the same action and the light faded.  
Roxas turned to Sora. "No magic."

Riuki wiggled his fingers. What ever she was doing wasn't affecting him but he still found himself unable to approach her and join the fight. Every time he would try an overwhelming sense of fear came over him.

Sorrow looked at Roxas then Riku. "I have no interest in you. My business is with the nobody." She sent a wave of despair out at Riku knocking him over.  
He staggered back, regaining his balance. Riku looked up, getting back into his stance to face Sorrow, only to notice the change of scenery around him. The sky was covered in thick, dark clouds. A dark sphere swirled in the sky. He shielded his eyes from the sand, being blown about by the wind. "The island?" he wondered aloud.

Roxas watched Riku, his fists tightening as memories poured into his head. What could he do? Roxas faced Sorrow, clutching his keyblades. "What'd you do to him?"  
She stood motionless.  
"What do you want?"  
Sorrow remained impassive. The group was silent, unsure of what was going to happen. Sorrow slowly raised her right arm, her finger pointing in his direction.  
Roxas was unsure. They were unsuccessful to get any information out of her, but was made apparent that she wanted to do away with him.  
"Okay, fine." he picked his keyblades up and rushed toward her. Sorrow slowly lowered her arm back to her side. Things were coming right into play. He jumped up and swung Oblivion in a vertical slash. Sorrow took a small step to the side, smoothly avoiding the blow. Her left hand lashed out and grabbed him by the throat. She began to tighten her grip as he resisted. With her free hand, she gently tugged on the black ribbon around her eyes and pulled it off, letting it fall to the ground. She opened her eyes, watching him struggle. Roxas slashed down on her left arm, Sorrow released her grip as the claw retracted. He took a step back narrowly avoiding it. The claw sprang open, her fist clenched tight. Sorrow advanced forward and swung it at him. He raised Oathkeeper, the keyblade caught in the claw's hold.  
Sorrow aloud an eye to glance at Riku and gave a slight smile.

Roxas glanced back at Riku to see if he'd snapped out of it. "Hey, you okay?" he tried to call over his shoulder while pushing against the claw with Oathkeeper. He twisted the keyblade and pulled it back, releasing it from the claw's grip.  
"Pretending to worry?" Sorrow questioned, jumping back.  
Roxas glared, trying to ignore. He didn't know why he was bothered by it, he couldn't feel anything. He rushed forward to Sorrow and swung his keyblades, reattempting his attack.  
Sorrow caught the blades with her claw and leaned foward to look into Roxas' eyes. "You can't help him."  
Roxas froze in place.  
"He's become lost. Wandering in memories, never to find the way."  
Roxas struggled to move. Sorrow had practically been taking on the group alone, and was succeeding.

Riku struggled to get up, ignoring the pain.  
Sorrow looked back at Riku, braking eye contact with Roxas. "Interesting, it's never done that before."  
The second Sorrow turned away Roxas unfroze and threw her off. Roxas took a step back and hit the claw with Oathkeeper, pinning it down. He swung Oblivion, hitting her across the front. He jumped back, avoiding her claw. He ran at her once again, swinging Oblivion. Roxas closed his eyes. If it played out like last time, it might work. Sorrow once again took a step back and shot forward, grabbing him with the claw. She tightened the grip allowing it to squeeze tighter. Roxas clenched his teeth, trying to hold the pain back. He slightly opened his hand and a bright light shot forward, temporarily blinding Sorrow. She shut her eyes tight, trying to put everything back in focus. She released him from the grip. Roxas took what little time he might have and swung Oblivion, hitting her across the back.

Sorrow clambered back up and dusted off her ragged dress. "No wonder you're the last of the Organization." She rushed at him, pinning him against a tree. "But nothing more."

Riuki let out a cry of pain as shadows rushed over him, turning him again into an anti form of himself.

Sorrow prepaired her claw for the finishing blow and was about to strick when she felt a sharp pain through her stomach. Roxas looked down at the dark wisp that impaled her and jumped back. Riuki drew back his arm, releasing Sorrow. Gasping for breath she looked up in time to see Riuki slowly walk up infront of her. She tried to move her claw up to attack but found it in pieces. As a last attempt to defend herself she unleashed another wave of emotion, setting Riku free. Riuki absorbed the attack effortless and stepped forward.  
Sorrow's eyes widened. "What are you?"  
Riuki didn't answer, only cut her down.

A black mist began to creep up her body. Sorrow's silvery eyes widened as it engulfed her, then faded completely. Roxas clutched his keyblades in his hands and carefully approached Riuki. He had turned this way once before, taking out Yazoo.  
Roxas stopped, keeping a distance from him. "Riuki?"  
"What happened?" Riku slowly stood up, shaking his head.

"Not much," Rebel yawned. "But you all put on quite a show, I'll give you that. Bravo." He eyed Riuki curiously.  
"What do you want?" Sora said sternly, realizing he was free to move.  
"Just checking up on you guys.. Which reminds me I have another word of advice for you."  
"Again? Why should we listen to you?" Roxas questioned.  
"Never said you had to. So why is he still around?" He motioned toward Riuki, still in anti form. "I'm surprised he's still here."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Look at him. I can do you all a favor and take him out myself, seeing none of you have the guts to do it."  
"Don't go near him!" Kairi ran out and stood between Rebel and Riuki. Roxas stepped forward beside Kairi to back her up if needed.  
"Well you're gonna need to do it sooner than later. Oh, one more thing."  
Riuki tensed, preparing to attack if necessary. "Relax, i won't say much. Listen, you're still looking for your friends right?" He opened a portal. "There you go. And try to stay together this time. Seriously.. hope you learned something then from Sorrow."  
"Wha-?" Roxas started.  
"Good luck," Rebel laughed, disappearing.

"I don't trust him," Kairi said. "He almost got us killed here."  
"Yeah, but it's a chance that we could find Yuki and Amu, right?" Sora pointed out. "We should at least try. If it's a trap, we can get out."  
The shadows disappeared, Riuki falling to the ground unconscious.  
"What's happening?" Namine stood next to Roxas.  
He shook his head, looking down at Riuki. "Dunno. We better find out soon." He dismissed his keyblades picking him up.  
"Okay," Riku said. "Let's get going." He walked through. Sora sighed and followed through.


	17. Reunion

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page! **_***[New Passiva, Jest, Riuki and Sorrow sketches on Deviantart]***

_****__Chapter Note~ Land of Dragons! The fight against Love and Confused was going to be longer but seeing they aren't fighters of the group didn't make much sense why it would.._

_********____**:: : That's a good question. Kairi was able to use her keyblade in the world we cut out from the story. She does however, use it later in the story as well as in the next :] **_******_I hope that helps! If you have any more questions feel free to ask! Bella and I would be happy to answer them!_**

Sora stretched, stepping out onto some kind of campsite. The entire site was filled with rows of tents, the largest, positioned in the back. Guard towers stood next to each entrance.  
"You there!" A guard in the tower called down. The group was quickly surrounded by soldiers.  
"Hey isn't that Sora?" A familiar looking soldier commented.  
"Sora!" Another familiar voice sounded. Amu pushed her way through the crowd of men. Once through she practically leaped onto Sora. "You came for me! You actually came for me!" She cried.  
Sora's eyes widened with surprise. "Amu?"  
"He was telling the truth after all," Kairi said.  
"See? Told you we should come."  
Amu smiled, ecstatic. "Oh I can't believe you are here! I thought no one would ever find us!"  
Sora nodded. "Wait, so Yuki's here too? How'd you get here anyways?"  
Amu hesitated. "Well, not 'here' here, but here somewhere. We were taken by some guy. After that we were handed over to these two girls, here and Yuki's in trouble! And you came for me!" Amu stared off in space, smiling.  
"O-kay.." Roxas folded his arms. "So where are they now?" Amu didn't respond.  
"Sora!" A voice called out from the crowd of soldiers. Mulan stepped forward with Mushu on her shoulder, grinning. "It's so nice to see you! What brings you here?"  
"We came here looking for some friends," he replied. "Thanks for taking care of her," he said, motioning toward Amu.  
"It was nothing. You know, she sat here just talking about how you would show up to save her. She looks very happy." She looked at the group behind Sora. "Are these your friends?"  
"Yeah," Sora quickly introduced the group.

Amu tapped her foot impatiently. "Guys! We have to help Yuki, she's in trouble!"  
"Oh yeah!" Sora said with realization. "That's right. Where at?"  
"It's a _biiiig_ city," Amu gestured with her arms as she spoke. "With _huge_ steps! And at the top is a big red palce!"  
"The Forbidden City?" Mulan questioned.  
Mushu jumped up, running across her other shoulder. "Mulan you better go too! The Emperor-"  
"Right," she nodded. "Sora, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to come with you. While you search for your friend, I'll look for the Emperor."  
"Alright," Sora agreed. "Um, Mulan, do you mind showing us the way there? It's been awhile awhile..."  
She nodded. "This way." They followed Mulan through small crowd of dispersing soldiers out of the campsite.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

_Love approached Confused. "They're on their way now," she said sweetly. "The little girl must've told them.."_  
_"Shouldn't we leave then?" Confused asked._  
_Love smiled. "This may be a good opportunity for us if we let them come. We'll wait for now, they'll arrive momentarily."_

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"So Amu, what happened exactly?" Kairi asked her. Amu glanced at her then turned away, nearly scoffing.  
"Amu?" Sora asked.  
"Yes Sora?"  
"What happened?"  
"I'll tell you," Amu smiled. "Well, when we arrived here, we were taken to two girls. The twitchy man left and we were bound by something I couldn't see- but I knew I was tied up because I couldn't budge. After that, they asked us a few questions then whispered to each other. After that I went out."  
"You mean blacked out?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "How?"  
"Something like that.. I'm not sure how. After that I woke up and Yuki was on the ground. The other girls were talking down the hall and I saw this as our opportunity to escape. I was free to move at that time so I tried dragging Yuki to door. They noticed and started coming. I told Yuki I was going to bring help- that's why we have to go back!"

"We're here," Mulan announced. They walked through the narrow entryway, entering the Forbidden City. They approached the stone steps leading up to the building.  
"So, I'm guessing they're in there?" Sora looked up at the tall red doors. Amu nodded. "Isn't that where the Emperor is?"  
"Yes, he's somewhere inside."  
"Kay."

Riku and Sora tugged on the brass handles, pulling the door open. They stepped through finding themselves inside the hall. In the middle of the room stood Yuki.  
Mulan turned to Sora. "The Emperor's throne room is straight ahead, I'll come back later. Good luck." She rushed past Yuki, who remained still. Mulan opened the doors and disappeared inside the next room.  
"Something's not right," Riku whispered to Sora.  
"Huh?" Sora whispered back. "How do you figure?" Riku nodded toward Yuki. He was right. They hadn't heard one word from her since they had arrived.  
A smile spread across Yuki's face and she squealed. "Oh!"  
She ran toward him, then to Riku, pinching their cheeks. "I didn't realize there were so many cute boys!"  
Kairi cleared her throat and the boys stood awkwardly as Yuki continued to examine them. She moved onto Riuki and stopped, cocking her head. "You look like you're scared. How come?"  
"Maybe it's because you're-" Sora started, but Kairi elbowed him.  
Yuki took a step back and bowed apologetically, straightening her dress. Yuki's outfit was completely different. Instead of her usual jacket and shorts complete with the hat she never removed, she was now in a pink cheongsam. Her hair was neatly pulled up into two messy buns. "I think there's some use for a few of you after all. Besides, I'm fully confident I could not defeat all of you at once- even with Confused." She paced back and forth as if counting each of them. "Okay, you'll do, you, and maybe you," she pointed. "Hm. That's probably it. Oh, it's such a waste having the nobody. Unfortunately have to stay behind along with her," she gestured toward Namine.  
Roxas frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
"It means, we're still in need of beings for our group- although we're already a bit shorthanded on members because of you. But no matter," she waved her hand carelessly. She held out her hand and a crossbow appeared. Confused appeared around the corner, h approaching the group. Yuki turned to her. "Just in time," she smiled. "I need your help."

"Who are you?" Sora asked.  
"Love," Yuki smiled.  
"Excuse me?"  
Love laughed and held up her crossbow. "So, let us begin," she said cheerfully.

"What'd you do to Yuki?" Amu shouted to Love.  
Love faced her, placing her hands on her hips. "You ran away, nice of you to return. You want to know? I'll tell you," She lowered her crossbow, ready to begin what appeared to be her rehearsed monologue. "The only reason we exist as a whole is because we are incomplete, seeking to become whole. We consist of a soul only, containing only emotion, not entity. To become whole we need a heart and body but it isn't easy." She shook her head and continued to speak in a dramatic tone.  
Roxas stared at her in disbelief, ignoring her story. Was she for real? She and Yuki had a lot in common. Love was just as talkative and dramatic as Yuki was. Maybe it'd be okay to leave her like that, there wasn't really a difference. "Hosts have proved to be easier and more efficient than any other method. Organization XIII failed because they took the wrong approach. But how could they know? They're only nobodies after all."  
"That's enough!" Sora yelled. He felt like he had to stand up for Namine and Roxas, even if couldn't feel offense to what she had said. But he couldn't let her keep going.  
Love's expression changed. "Very well," she took one step back, getting into a stance, holding her crossbow up at the ready. "I'll be complete by the time we're through, and half of you will be on your way to the Order to serve as hosts for the rest of us." Confused stood by her side and summoned her staff. She folded her arms, resting her fist against her fist.

Love aimed her crossbow at Sora, prepared to strike. A string of light connected along the tiller, taking the shape of a white arrow. The arrow shot forward, barely allowing Sora time to duck. He slowly rose to his feet, turning to see the arrow disappear when making contact with the wall.  
Love giggled. "You're quick! Let us see how well your friends do." She reset the bow and rested her finger on the trigger. "Which one..you?" She extended the crossbow, scanning the group until it rested on Riku.  
"Stop!" Kairi stood in front of them, arms outstretched.  
"Kairi, stay back," Riku told her, summoning his keyblade.  
"I see," Love smiled, sweetly. A bolt of light shot from her bow. Sora tossed his keyblade, knocking the arrow off it's course and sending it back into the wall.  
Love chuckled, reappearing on top of the rafters above. She sat down and rested her bow on her lap. "I know how you feel about her. You can't hide your emotions. It's what we are."  
"Wha-?" Sora blushed. "Hey! What do you mean?"  
"Forget it Sora," Roxas told him. "She's trying to distract you."

"Come back down!" Sora slashed the Kingdom key through the air. "Let her go!"  
"Very well," Love sighed and stood up. "I suppose it's time to continue." She raised the crossbow, a shower of arrows rained down on them.  
Sora and Riku raised their blades, deflecting each of the oncoming arrows. Roxas spun Oblivion, returning them to the rafters.  
"Oh!" Love staggered back, narrowly avoiding the arrows. She frowned at him, resetting the bow.

"Be careful," Namine put a hand on his shoulder. "We don't want to hurt Yuki."  
"How do we do that?" Roxas looked down.  
Namine slowly shook her head, searching for an answer.

Love jumped down next to Confused who stood there in deep thought.

"Light," Kairi said, softly.  
"Huh?"  
"Light is what separates the darkness," she explained. "If Yuki is still inside, I'm sure her heart is fighting too."

Love repeatedly fired her crossbow, stepping in front of Confused. Sora stood in front of the group, blocking the arrows. "What do we do?" he shouted over his shoulder.  
Roxas shrugged. "I guess we can try." He stepped back dismissing Oblivion. He pointed Oath Keeper at Love, light gathering at the tip. The light burst from the edge of the keyblade. Sora turned to the side as the beam passed straight through to Love.

Love screamed in pain as she was forced out of Yuki, her body fell to the floor. Love slowly rose to her feet, clutching her stomach.  
Confused shook her head, focusing on the scene before her. "Oh!" she raised her staff, casting a thunder spell. Bolts of lightning shot across the room, narrowly missing the group as each bolt shot past. Love tossed her long, pink hair over her shoulders and frowned. "Confused, take any one of your choosing." She nodded in response, scanning the group for one compatible to her emotion. Seeing Riuki's blank expression, she nodded and ran at him.  
Love faced the group, slightly shaking. "Host or no host, I can still toy with your emotions." She lifted her bow close to her in a defensive position.

Confused used blizzard to freeze Riuki, her body appearing like mist as she ran into him. She was shocked when she went straight through. "What?" She tried again, only to run through him once again.

Love began to tremble. She lowered her bow and fell to her knees. A heavy mist formed around her, creeping up her body. Confused stopped what she was doing and looked at Love, horrified. Love closed her eyes. "I suppose.. I'll never get the chance." She faded as the mist consumed her and vanished.  
Sora lowered his keyblade, staring at the mist. The light was supposed to separate her from Yuki, not kill her. _Did the light do that?_ he thought to himself. _If so.. what happened to Yuki?_

Confused dropped her staff. The weapon shattered and faded away."Why?" Confused shot Roxas somewhat of a glare. She shook her head, holding up two fingers. "That's twice the Organization has taken a friend from me."  
That caught Roxas' attention. So the Organization did know about them. Axel didn't tell them everything.  
"Are you going to kill me too?"  
Roxas shook his head, dismissing Oath Keeper. Sora stepped forward, the Kingdom Key disappeared from his grip in a flash of light. "Hey, if you-"  
"This was my last chance," she interrupted. "If I go back..." Confused re-summoned her staff. "No! I have to keep fighting! Just you wait you will pay for what you did to my friends!" She stood and charged toward them, only to trip and fall midway. "Is this..." She spoke to herself. "Is this what sadness feels like? I'm one step closer to being complete. But what's the point without...friends." Mist formed around her as she began to fade away. "We weren't any different then those nobodies in the Organization, were we?"  
"Maybe," Sora said. "Not because you failed, but because you didn't listen to your heart."  
"I have a heart? I was told we of the Order didn't have..." Confused closed her eyes and vanished. "Thank you."

Sora looked down. Confused had the choice to go on, but she had given it up. To her, it wasn't worth completion- not without her friends. She lost her own will to live.

"Do you thinks she's alright?" Kairi knelt down by Yuki.  
Amu was silent. "I sure hope so. I'm not sure what to do though."  
"Let's bring her somewhere more comfortable at least. Sora, do you think it'd be alright if we went back to that camp for awhile?"  
"That should be okay," Sora walked over. "We should check with Mulan- wait a sec, where is she?"  
"I'm here," Mulan entered the room and gave a small bow. "So sorry about that. How is your friend?"  
"Mulan, would it be okay if we could bring her back to the base camp? We need a place to stay until she wakes up."  
"Absolutely," Mulan nodded.  
"Thanks," Sora smiled. "We'll get out of your hair after that."  
"It's no trouble. Let's head back. Have you eaten recently?"  
The group slowly shook their heads, looking at one another.  
Mulan laughed. "Alright, we'll have to take care of that. Sora, you can't starve your friends," she teased.  
Sora laughed, apologizing. He scooped up Yuki, following the group back to camp.


	18. Luca

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page! **_***[New Passiva, Jest, Riuki and Sorrow sketches on Deviantart]***

___Chapter Note_**_~ Okay! In order for this world to work, we had to do what we have tried so much to avoid. We had to tweak some parts of the story.  
First: In order for Yuna to be the way she is, we had to play through this as if she and Rikku were not in KH2. We all decided on two _**_Final Fantasy_**_ worlds in the was Spira and Midgar that made it through to the story. These are my two favorite _**_Final Fantasy_**_ games so far, at least on a classical basis. [I haven't played any beside _**_X_**_/ _**_X-2_**_ so if anyone has any recommendations let me know. _**_X_**_ was a blast!]  
Second: We realized that since this takes place 2-3 years after the first _**_Kingdom Hearts**, it set Tidus to his normal age in X which is 17. As for Wakka... yeah, we stretched a little but we made it work. Third: We made one more switch to the KH storyline. During the storm in KH1, the islanders were scattered to other worlds. We decided Wakka and Tidus could end up in Spira haha. **____**Even though everyone had returned to their worlds after Ansem was defeated... we decided to let it slide for the sake of our 'filler' XP**_  
**We know **Final Fantasy** worlds were not ever used in the game, but added them for our own entertainment. We also decided that if things didn't work out, we could probably cut it from our story, seeing it's our last 'filler world' [which has some significance later in the story. But that's to be explained later...]**

___**I was never good at playing blitzball in Final Fantasy. One day, I was determined enough to actually read the full instructions in hopes of scoring a few points for Wakka's team. They lost. Watch the clips is always so much easier... Out of curiosity, has anyone made it? **_

"Did we forget anybody?" Sora asked passing out bowls of rice.  
"Yes." Riku glared, just barely entering camp.  
"Riku, what took you so long?"  
"Like I said, you forgot somebody." Riku dragged Ruiki, still frozen, next to the campfire.  
Sora's eyes widened and he dropped his bowl. "Oh- but- ah! Riuki!" he slapped his forehead. He went over to him and knelt down. Riku, still glaring, watched as Sora continued to spaz over the issue. "How do we thaw him?" Sora panicked.  
"Well," Riku shook his head. "He's by the fire. Unless you want to try magic."

Riku took a pair of chopsticks and sat down next to the fire. Roxas finished off the last of his rice and set the bowl down. Sora continued to use his fire magic, being careful not to burn Riuki.  
"I'm cold," Riuki shivered. Sora finished thawing and let out a sigh of relief. Namine helped him sit up, offered Riuki a warm bowl of noodles.

"She's awake!" Amu exclaimed.  
Yuki began to sit up, still dizzy from what had happened. She drowsily opened her eyes then froze. "What the-?" Yuki felt the top of her head. Her eyes widened with realization. "_Where's my hat_?"  
"We'll fill you in," Amu laughed.

Yuki slurped on her bowl of noodles while listening to them explain. She carefully set the bowl down next to her. "So that's what happened.. Because all I can remember was being taken by that twitchy guy and his dragon-thingie. After that we were handed over to those two girls and I blacked out. What do they want anyway?"  
"It sounded like they want to become complete beings," Roxas said. "Like the Organization. Only this group's not made up of nobodies. She said that they all had souls so they were only made up of emotion."  
"She mentioned them needing hosts to be complete," Riku added. "If they already have a soul, a body and heart is all they need to be whole. That's why they needed those two," he motioned toward Yuki and Amu.  
Yuki shivered. "Creepy. Well shouldn't we go stop them? They could be rounding up innocent people!" She stood up, full of energy.  
"We should take you guys back," Sora said. "So nothing like that happens again."  
"But we're part of the group now!" Yuki protested. "And after this, we pretty much earned coming, right? Payback."  
"Uuh," Sora hesitated.  
Kairi nodded. "Sure. Sora, they might as well see it through to the end. They are part of the group now."  
They kind of were, but too much had happened already. It was risky.  
"Please?" The girls pleaded. Kairi gave Sora a reassuring look.  
"Alright," he gave in. "But if anything else happens we need to take you guys back. Same for you and Namine, Kairi. It's getting too dangerous now."  
"Yay!" Yuki cheered. "I promise, we'll pull out if anything goes wrong- although I'm sure we could handle it. Hm.. we might have to prove it to you somehow- I mean, never mind! Okay, let's go kick some butt!"  
Sora grinned, resting his hands on the top of his head. "Alright! So.. where do you guys think we should go now? I'm sure that group is at the World That Never Was, because it was sealed off when we tried. But we can't get there. Should we just keep trying around?"  
"That's probably best," Kairi nodded.  
"Let's go," Roxas opened a portal.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

They walked out into a large crowd. People huddled together, separated in groups wearing matching uniforms and holding up banners. Each group was heading from the docks toward a large dome.  
"Where are we?" Yuki smiled, watching as the groups of muscular boys made their way past them to the building.  
"SORA!" a voice called out.  
"Huh?" Sora wheeled around, looking through the crowd. "Someone call my name?" he asked Riku.  
"SORA!"  
A tan boy with blond hair made their way toward them through the crowd. He wore a yellow jacket and uneven shorts with an emblem on the leg. "Didn't ever think I'd see you here," he grinned.  
"Tidus!" Sora laughed.  
Tidus gave him a high five. "What brings you here? Finally show up to watch me play?"  
"Is there a game?" Sora asked, watching the groups pass. So they were teams. "Hey, what about Wakka? Is he here too?"  
"Oh yeah! He's here.. somewhere around here. Here, lemme call him, he's gonna be surprised." Tidus cupped his hands around his mouth and let out what sounded like a mock imitation of a war cry. "WAKKAKAKAKAKAKAKA!" He put his hands down and smiled in content.  
"What was that all about-?"  
"You'll see," Tidus put a hand up, motioning for him to wait.  
"TIDUS!" A voice yelled, drawing nearer. "I'm gonna kill you!"  
"Here he comes. He was a lot closer then I thought he was."  
Wakka made his way through the crowd. He grabbed hold of his blitzball and ran toward Tidus. Tidus put his hand up to stop him. "Hold up a sec! Look who's here!" He shoved Sora in front of him.  
"Hahaha! No way!" Wakka laughed. "It's been forever, ya? Good to see you! You're just in time for the game."  
"Game?" Sora looked at the group. "Uuh, I'm here with some friends-"  
"No worries. Our team is on soon and we have some visitors as well. After the game, we're going to finish the pilgrimage with them, you should meet them. Here, come with me, I'll sneak you guys in, okay?"  
Sora nodded. "Sounds good."

Tidus led them into the stadium full of hundreds of screaming fans.  
"I didn't know this game was so popular." Sora observed.  
"You can sit here," Wakka pointed to a row seats.  
"Not bad, it's close to the action!" Yuki stepped in front of them and sat down on the benches. "Well come on!" she called to them.  
"Thanks," Sora said.  
"Anytime," Wakka nodded. "I've got to go, we're on soon. Enjoy the game, kay?" He rushed off to the dugout.  
"So what is this?" Roxas leaned forward to get a good look at what was happening. A giant sphere was centered in the arena.  
"They rant on and on about this game they play, blitzball," Sora said. "I've never seen it so it's a first for me."  
Water burst inside the sphere and began to rise until it was completely full. Teams came out and swam through the water, meeting at the center.  
"That's the field?" Roxas asked, smiling.  
"Cool!" Yuki shouted, cheering as Wakka's team appeared. The teams divided on either side and sent their captains on the center of the field. The speakers boomed as the announcer began to rally the fans. A whistle sounded and the ball shot up in the air, signaling the start of the game.

Wakka knocked the ball to the side, passing off to Tidus. He took off and made a pass, sending it to a boy with dark buzzed hair. He spun and kicked the blitzball toward the goal. The goalie shot up, catching the ball. The goalie passed the blitzball to a team mate who headed toward the other side of the field. Tidus met him half way, putting his arms out to block his pass. The player swam through, butting Tidus in the stomach. Half the crowd 'boo'd' while the other cheered for the the opposing side.

Sora eyes woandered through the crowd. For some reason he felt as though he was being watched. Sora froze. On the other side of the sphere, through the cheering crowd, was one face staring straight towards him- paying no mind to the game. He had shaggy black hair covering one of his eyes. Although he didn't know why, he was certain this guy was glaring at him. "Uh, Roxas," Sora shook his shoulder.  
"Wha-?" Roxas said, still focused on the game.  
"Look over there, is that guy glaring?"  
Roxas looked across the field. "Who-? Uh, yeah.."  
"Why's he glaring at me?"  
"I'm not sure.." he looked back at the boy but he was gone.  
"We better go," Sora stood up.  
"Yup," Roxas agreed.

Roxas gently shook Yuki's shoulder. "Time to go."  
"Already? But it's going so well.." Yuki frowned. "Okay fine. C'mon Amu." They passed the message to the remaining part of the group. They followed Sora up the aisle and through the lobby.  
"Were are we going?" Namine asked.  
"Some guy was watching Sora," Roxas explained. "Next thing you know he was gone."

"Let's go look at some shops until the game is over." Amu suggested.  
"That sounds good." Yuki walked infront of the group to lead but right when they were about to leave a voice called at them.

"You got some nerve showing your face here!"

Turning around they saw the dark haired boy standing in front of the entrance.  
"Is it because you feel guilty?"  
" 'Scuse me?" Sora asked puzzled. Great, he found them. And he was angry. "Listen, I don't want to start anything, but what did I do?"  
The boy walked towards the group. Sora summoned his keyblade, preparing for a fight but was shocked when he walked passed him without so much as a glance.

He grabbed Riuki by the collar of the shirt. "Why have you come back? What more do you want?"  
Riuki looked at him, scared and confused. "What are you talking about?"  
"Don't play dumb! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"  
"Hey!" Yuki shouted, getting in between the two of them to separate them. "Leave him alone, will ya? You must have him confused with someone! Now go bother someone else."

"Hiding behind a girl again? You'll never change." The boy shifted his gaze to Yuki. "He hasn't told you anything has he?"  
"He doesn't remember anything," Yuki protested. "Will you leave him alone? Look at him, he's done nothing wrong. Go watch the game."  
The boy's fists tightened. "Nothing wrong? He stole from me!" He pushed Yuki out of the way. "And now you've forgotten? I'll never forgive you. Give it back!" He reached out his hand, shooting lightning at Riuki who fell to the ground.

"That's enough!" Sora summoned his keyblade and stood in between the boy and Riuki. He could've been more dangerous than he thought, he never expected him to know magic. Namine helped Riuki back up.  
"Will you stop?" Yuki yelled. "If you don't go then we will."  
"No, he's not getting away again." He closed his eyes preparing to cast a spell. As he did flames grew around him. The group prepared for the worst. The boy's eyes opened, unleashing the flames towards Riuki, but right when they were about to hit a small red object flew in front of him, absorbing the flames. For a second Roxas thought it was Axel but found the orb to still be in his pocket. Looking again he saw that the object was a heartless. It was a red nocturne with a red ribbon tied in a bow around it's hat. The creatures eyes glared at the boy causing him to stop.

"It's a heartless?" Kairi questioned, puzzled.  
"Yeah.." Sora lowered his guard slightly. "But, I don't think it's going to attack. It just blocked him.." What was that about?  
"Maybe it's like this little guy?" Yuki scooped up Critter. "Aw, you're still here!" she hugged him.

Screams rang out from inside of the arena. Sora began to shrug it off but realized they weren't cheering. People poured out, fleeing from the bleachers.  
"Game over?" Yuki asked.  
Sora glanced back at the boy, but he was gone. "Let's go see what's wrong," Sora ran against the crowd of rushing people.  
"Okay," Kairi nodded. The group followed behind.  
"Come on Riuki," Yuki tugged at his arm. The heartless watched him turn and leave then disappeared.  
By the time they arrived, the stadium was more than half empty. "What is it?" Kairi asked.  
"Look!" Sora pointed a few rows down. Black clouds formed, taking shape of heartless. "Oi!" Wakka called from the balcony above. "You guys can handle that one, ya? Me and Tidus got up here."  
"Okay," Sora confirmed. Riku and Roxas summoned their keyblades. More and more fiends appeared around the stadium, charging through the crowds.  
"We need to get over there!" Kairi yelled, pointing to across the stadium.  
"They're too far away," Sora panicked. She was right. He looked at Roxas. "You and Riku take that end. I've got it covered here."  
"Kay," Roxas disappeared through a portal. A black portal formed around Riku as well and he disappeared.  
The stadium began to shake as small tremors erupted through the stands. A giant creature, emerged from the stands. It was large and covered in heavy chains, binding its hands together. It swayed to the side and a burst of red light shot from its eye. As it did, the heartless slowly began to vanish. Below the giant creature was a man, smiling. He had blue hair and a wore a long robe, opened down to the base of his chest.  
"Wha- what's happening? Who's that?" Sora stared up at the monster. He didn't know whether to attack or not, it was clearing the heartless after all.  
Wakka jumped down and walked over to the railing. "That's Maester Seymour," he replied.  
Tidus swung himself over the rail from above and landed in a crouched position. He straightened himself up and walked over. "I hate that guy," he said with resentment.  
"Watch it," Wakka gave him a look. "Don't want to be saying that around here. He's in full support of Yuna's pilgrimage."

The creature's eye began to glow once more. It tilted its head and the light flashed, the remaining heartless vanishing. The creature roared as if in pain. Seymour raised his right arm, dismissing the monster.  
A girl with brown hair and wearing a traditional gown, came up the stairs followed by a woman in a dark dress and what appeared to be a blue cat-like person.  
"Yuna," Tidus greeted the girl.  
She smiled, nodding. "Everyone alright?"  
"Ya," Wakka confirmed. "As far as I can tell. Thanks to Seymour, those fiends are gone."  
"Fiends?" Sora questioned.  
"Those creatures, that's what we call them. When a person dies, a summoner sends them so that their spirit may travel to the Farplane so they may have a peaceful rest. But if a summoner is unable to send, the being becomes lost and distorted, changing them into a fiend."  
The woman in black folded her arms. "But these fiends had a different appearance," she said. "Unlike the others we've encountered along the way."  
"Lulu's right," Yuna agreed. "There's something different about them."  
"They looked like heartless," Sora said. "But I guess they looked slightly different then the ones I've seen before."  
"What's a heartless?" Tidus raised an eyebrow.  
"Uh.. hm," Sora folded his arms, trying to think of how to describe them. "Once someone dies, the darkness in their heart turns them into a heartless. That what those things were."  
"That makes sense," Yuna said. "At least everyone was able to make it out of the stadium before any damage could have been done. We should thank Maester Seymour-" (Tidus scowled at the sound of the name.) "-for stepping in to help." She turned to Wakka and Tidus and gave a slight bow. "I'm so sorry your game has been interrupted."  
"Yuna, It's not your fault," Tidus told her. "Relax."  
Wakka grinned. "We lost anyway. Oh well, it's been a good year, ya? Always next season to look forward to."

"Well Yuna, we best get going on the pilgrimage. We got a long way to go, ya?"  
"But what about the game?"  
"Game's over," Wakka grinned. "Time to focus on a new objective."  
"Sin won't wait," Lulu said. "Yuna's chosen to see this through, so we must go on."  
Yuna clasped her hands together. "Alright. But first," she looked at Sora and the group.  
"Oh! Sorry," Sora apologized. He quickly introduced himself and the rest of the group.  
"I see," Yuna smiled. "I'm Yuna. This is Lulu," she pointed at the woman in the long black dress. "And Kimari." She paused, glancing around as if searching for someone. "Where is sir Auron?"  
"Auron?" Sora was surprised. "The guy in the red robe and large sword- that Auron?"  
Yuna laughed, "Sounds like him, yes."  
"We will meet him out of the arena," Lulu began to walk to the exit. "No more talk. Come, let's get started."  
Sora walked over to Tidus. "Hey, do you mind if we come along for a little while? We need to check up around here and make sure things are okay."  
"Why, what's happening?"  
"Um," Sora looked up. He began to explain why they had come and that they were searching for news of the Order. Tidus looked back and forth from Sora's group and Yuna's. "Hey, is it alright if they come along for a little bit?"  
"What?" Lulu turned. "It's unheard of. Yuna has enough guardians, anymore may be out of hand."  
"Not as guardians. And it's just for a little while-"  
"Absolutely not," she said sternly. "We don't even know them. How could we trust whether they would-"  
"Lulu," Yuna interrupted. "I..I would like for them to come along. Even if it is only for a short while. Even though we have a large group, the more the merrier. Is that alright with everyone?"  
They nodded. Lulu closed her eyes. "Very well."

_**Woo! Finally got two in. [Trying to make up for the lack of posts last week. So much has happened over the last week!]  
Hm... that might be good for today. Thanks for your patience everyone!**_


	19. The Moonflow

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page! **_***[New Passiva, Jest, Riuki and Sorrow sketches on Deviantart]***

___Chapter Note~ **The Moonflow! We didn't bother describing the shoopuf driver.. Next chapter!**_

"Where are we going?" Sora asked.  
"The Moonflow," Lulu responded. "We cross over from there and make our way to Guadosalam."  
"Oh," Sora turned to Wakka. "So what are you all trying to do?"  
"What are we-? Oh, right. Well," Wakka took a deep breath and began to explain. "There's a monster here called Sin. Sin comes and creates chaos. Every so often there are some, like Yuna, who train to become a summoner."  
"What's that?"  
"A summoner visits each temple in Spira on the way to Zanarkand. A spirit of an Aeon, known as the Faythe, resides in each temple chamber. It's called the Chamber of the Faythe. The summoner alone prays in the Chamber of the Faythe, asking for the spirit to guide and assist them on their pilgrimage. If the Faythe accepts, the summoner is allowed to summon the spirit in the form of an Aeon."  
"Hm, I think I get it," Sora said. "So why are you all going with her?"  
"We're her guardians," Tidus cut in. "The summoner appoints those they trust to guard them on the way to Zanarkand."  
"What happens in Zanarkand?"  
"Well," Wakka scratched the back of his head. "Lady Yunalesca. Once you arrive, she gives you the final Aeon, which you use to defeat Sin. Once Sin is defeated, it brings the Calm to Spira. The Calm is a time of peace when the people can go about their lives without having to worry about Sin. So you see, this is important- ya? What the summoner does to bring the calm brings hope to the people of Spira."  
"Oh," Roxas looked at Yuna. "So, what she's doing- it's a big deal here then, right?"  
"That's right," Lulu said. "She has thousands of people depending on her but she still moves on."  
The landscape began to change as they continued to follow the path. The flat, dirt ground turned into grass with trees on either side of the path. A large lake spread out in front of them, with lily pads positioned alongside the shore.  
Yuki ran to the water's edge. "What is this place?"  
"This is the Moonflow," Yuna smiled. "We'll be crossing over to the other side soon."  
"But we have to take the shoopuf, ya?" Wakka folded his arms.  
"That's right," Lulu nodded. "We should check for the next available launch."  
"Shoopuf?" Sora snickered, looking at Roxas. He shrugged.

Riuki walked over to the water, watching the lilies and what looked like fireflies. He nelt down and touched one of the lilies. "Pretty."  
"Shoopuf launch in five minutes!" The announcer shouted.  
Tidus sighed, "What're we going to do to kill five minutes?"

Yuna walked along the side of the water, looking out at the lake. Tidus took a small breath and walked over to her. Wakka smiled, shaking his head, watching Tidus talk to her using exaggerated hand gestures. Sora grinned as he spotted Auron. He seemed the same: middle-aged, left arm still tucked inside his cloak like a sling-from an incident he failed to tell them and his right eye shut due to the scar- perhaps from the same incident.  
"Auron!" Sora waved, approaching him.  
Auron gave a half-smile, barely acknowledging him, but it was an acknowledgement nonetheless- from Auron anyway. "I had a feeling you would end up here one point or another," he spoke indirectly. Same old Auron. "You and your friends better have earned a higher rank the title 'junior heroes'. It's more serious here than the Colosseum."  
"HEROES!" Sora corrected. "We earned it fair and square! And we're ready for anything this place has to throw at us."  
"Heh," Auron grinned. "Just as confident." He walked past Sora, making his way toward Wakka and the others.  
"That's all you have to say? C'mon Auron!"

Yuki clasped her hands together approaching Riuki, who was watching the reflections on the water. "Isn't it lovely? There's not a place like this in Twilight Town. The ocean is as close as we get."  
Riuki looked at Yuki then back at the water. "It was..." He searched for a word. "Quiet with you gone."  
"Quiet?" She laughed. "You people need to wake up! But it is really nice to see everyone again. Being away made me realize how dull it really is back in town. You guys have a lot to do, huh?"  
"I guess. I'm still pretty confused about all of this."  
"What's been happening?" She sat down by the edge and twirled her finger in the water.  
"I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you. It seems to me like I miss a lot." Riuki watched Critter and Boo dance around Lulu, looking up at her doll.

"S_hoopuf launching_!" The announcer shouted.  
"Let's move," Lulu walked around Critter and Boo and toward the docks. "Come, Yuna."  
"Yes," Yuna nodded, following behind along with the group. They stopped at the docks where a lift was waiting for them to board onto what looked like an elephant-like creature.  
"Whoa," Sora stood in awe. "We're riding that?"  
"Yup," Wakka pat him on the back, causing Sora to fall forward a little. "Let's get on before it leaves, alright? It'll be awhile until the next launch."  
They boarded the lift and sat down on the seats.

"Ish everibudy ready?" asked the driver.  
"Yes sir," Yuna replied.  
"Here we goesh!" He pulled on the reins and the shoopuff began to move forward.  
The group leaned over the railing looking down at the water below.  
"What's that?" Yuki peered down. "It looks like a building."  
"That's because it is," Lulu said. "Or was. Those are ruins of a machina city, which sank years ago."  
"Why would they build a city over the water here?" Tidus stretched, leaning back against the seat. "Convenience?"  
"No," Wakka shook his head. "They wanted to defy the laws of nature! Machina," he practically spat the word.  
"Wait," Sora turned back. "What's machina and what's so bad about it?"  
"Machina are forbidden," Lulu said. "Although there are those who choose to use them, such as the Al Bhed."  
"Who?" Kairi cocked her head.  
"The Al Bhed," For some reason, Wakka appeared to be agitated just talking about them. "They disregard Yevon's teachings."

The shoopuff came to a sudden stop, sending those kneeling on their seat flying back."Whatsh could datch be?" The driver looked around.  
"Whoa, did we hit a rock?" Sora steadied himself.  
"No," Auron looked down. "Everyone sit down."  
"Where's Yuna?" Tidus stood up and ran to the edge.  
"Sit down," Auron ordered.  
"Make me!" Tidus looked at the rippling water underneath and dived.  
"Hey!" Wakka shouted.

Boo watched Tidus dive and buzzed with happiness before diving in after him. She wondered what game this was. No matter what, she wouldn't lose.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Silph had been keeping back and quiet for now, but when she watched Boo dive into the water all her calm left her. "Boo you idiot!" she yelled from where she had been hiding towards the back of the shoopuf. Her eyes widened with surprise, knowing full well she had blown her cover.

Everyone's attention turned toward the shouting to see Silph, no longer hiding. "Who are you?"  
Riuki gave her a timid smile. She reminded him of someone but with his memories still lost he had no idea who. All he knew was that this person caused him great fear, however this girl didn't share that trait with whoever that person was.  
"Hello again," he waved.

Kairi studied the girl. She was the same girl Boo had showed her in Notre Dame.  
"Are you with Jest's group?" Sora stood in front of Kairi.  
Silph shook her head. "Questions later," she said. "Critter, come here." Critter walked towards her and hugged her leg. "Don't let go now." Critter nodded and held on tighter. With a final glance at the group she dived into the water. If she hadn't been in trouble before she certainly was now.

Sora rushed to the edge and prepared to dive.  
"Sora!" Kairi pulled on his jacket.  
"I've gotta go help," he looked down at the water, troubled. "Tidus is down there too."  
"You're not turning into a mermaid are you?" Roxas raised an eyebrow.  
"IT'S NOT A MERMAID!"  
"Sure."  
Wakka walked between the two of them. "You all stay here then. I'll go in and see where they are." he dove into the water.  
They looked over the side and watched churning water begin to calm itself. Suddenly, a huge crash caused the shoopuf to lurch forward sharply.  
"Aah!" Yuki yelled as she fell over the side. She grabbed onto the edge to prevent her fall. The water began to bubble from underneath and a giant cascade shot up from below. The water came down, sending showers of droplets down on them.  
"What's happening down there?" Kairi shouted. Sora took one last glance at the group and dived down into the water.

Silph looked around to see if she could spot Boo. She was about to start swimming when something landed on her. She whirled around in the water ignoring the pain to see what had hit her. It was Sora.  
"Oops, sorry!" Sora panicked, but only bubbles escaped his mouth. He quickly closed his mouth, remembering to conserve air. He extended his hand in attempt to say 'are you okay?'. Who was this girl anyway?  
A current of water sped between them. He turned toward the direction it came, looking for the source. Below them was Wakka and Tidus, fighting what looked like a machine with metal tentacles, which allowed for it to move about in the water. Wakka spotted Sora and Silph, and panicked. He pointed up at the surface, motioning for them to leave.

Boo spotted them too and buzzing happily sped over. Silph glared at her as she got close. Boo seemed to shrink a bit when she saw her owner's disappointment. Silph sighed and made a circular motion with her finger. Boo perked up and hummed with excitement. She circled around Silph and Sora creating a sphere of air. As soon as it was finished Silph inhaled deeply and summoned Heartbreaker. Turning to Sora she said, "You can go back up if you want, but since you are down here I'm guessing you want to fight. Keep in mind though that if you want to keep breathing we'll have to attack in unison. Unless you have some other way to breath underwater?"  
Sora nodded his head. "Yeah I-" he cut himself off. He couldn't do the usual form he did while visiting Atlantica, Donald wasn't here to cast the spell. "Never mind." He summoned the kingdom key. "You lead," he told her.  
The machine began to rise, shaking furiously. The tentacles lashed out at them. Wakka dodged while Tidus raised Brotherhood to block the blow. The mechanical arms continued to lash out, churning the water. One arm lashed out, striking the shoopuff. The creature reared up the slammed its feet back into the water. The group inside the carrier grasped to the sides attempting to hold on as best they could.

"Alright," said Silph. "Try to keep up." Critter was still holding on tightly to her leg while Boo circled them keeping the water back. She began to run trying her best to keep her speed the same as Sora's. If one of them fell out of sync the other could be left back in the water without air. She couldn't use her portals either, seeing that the water would slow her down and she didn't know if the light would accept Sora. She had a feeling it would, but she wasn't about to test her theory with his life.

"Woash there." The driver tried to calm the shoopuf down as it reared up again. Riuki lost his grip and found himself falling into the water. As soon as he hit the water he began to sink, not knowing how to swim. As panic kicked in he began to struggle, trying to grab the surface of the water and pull himself up. He managed to pull his head out of the water for a second but that wasn't long enough. Gasping for air his vision grew dark as only water filled his lungs.  
Riuki slowly closed his eyes. He heard the sound of a splash of water, not too far away. A blurry figure drew closer to him in the water. He felt himself being pulled his head now above the water allowing him to breathe.  
"Hold on," Riku told him, grabbing his arm and swimming toward the shoopuf.  
The shoopuff driver pulled the reins, making the shoopuff push forward. "But what about the others?" Kairi shouted.  
"Itsh not safe here! Need to gets ush out of the area!"

Wakka threw his blitzball hitting the bottom of the machine, next to an opening. The opening was large enough for a person to crawl inside and was sealed shut. The machine shuttered as soon as the ball hit the opening, temporarily stalling it.  
"Hey," Sora pointed, trying to draw Silph's attention. "It's got a weak spot! Concentrate there."  
"I see it," said Silph. "Let's go!"

Sora pushed forward, trying as best he could to keep at the same pace Silph was. "How do we hit it?" he didn't know if attacking would affect the bubble of air.  
"Boo will take care of the air," replied Silph. "Just do what you normally do. I'll match your pace. It won't be hard for me, so don't worry."  
"Kay," Sora nodded, picking up the pace. He pointed the blade at the machine, "Fire!" a ball of fire shot out from the blade, hitting the machine. He was skeptical as to whether or not fire would work underwater but the magic allowed it to pull through. He threw his blade at the opening as they drew closer. The machine lashed around, flailing its arms.

At the same time Silph shot her own form of magic and mirrored Sora's move. Heartbreaker followed alongside Sora's Kingdom Key and they hit in unison.  
Tidus swam toward the machine. "You guys hit the target, I'll take care of those arms!" he shouted. The metal monster raised its arms and brought them down on Tidus. Tidus waited for the right moment in time. At the last second, he raised Brotherhood and slashed down, cutting the tentacle-like arms off.  
Sora and Silph stopped at the base of the machine, looking up at the opening. "Okay, now!" he shouted. He slashed his hand diagonally in front of him, the Kingdom Key reappeared in his hand. He grabbed the handle by both hands and pointed it at the gap. A small light shone from the tip of the blade. It grew larger until it shot a large beam directly at the gap. Silph did the same her own beam merging with Sora's. Critter watched curiously and smiled widely.

The beam struck the target. The machine stalled then began to spark. It started to sink down. The stubs of what were the arms frantically waved, trying to regain control. The machine shook violently, the sparks getting more and more out of control.  
"It's going to blow up," Sora turned. "We gotta get out of here!"  
"Yuna's in there!" Tidus shouted.  
"What?"  
"Hold on!" Silph shouted. It was a risk, but she had a feeling Yuna was a pure spirit. The light wouldn't hurt her. The explosion would. A portal opened in front of herself and she reached her hand out and pulled at what felt like fabric.  
"Huh?"  
Silph heard the voice from the other side.  
"Hurry!" Wakka yelled. Silph didn't hesitate. With all her strength she pulled falling back into the water.  
"Aak!" The girl fell through, pulling Yuna along with her.  
"Wait a sec, who's-" Tidus started.  
"Get going!" Sora shouted. They made their way to the surface. Below, the machine shook then began to explode. A giant blast from beneath them sent a fierce current, pushing them away.

"Turn around!" Amu shook the driver. A rumbling sound from behind, gradually growing louder and louder. She turned just in time to see a huge wave come crashing down on top of them. When the water subsided, she opened her eyes to see Sora and the group were back on the shoopuf.

"Boo?" Silph coughed. "Boo? Where are you?" Boo floated over shaking water all over. Silph looked up and smiled at her. "Good job, Boo." Boo spun happily. Silph grabbed her gently and hugged her close. Critter poked at her arm wanting in too and Silph laughed before scooping him up too.

Tidus stood up, shaking the water off. "Everyone okay?"  
"Think so," Sora rubbed the back of his head.  
Wakka focused on the girl next to Yuna. She wore an orange top with goggles hanging loose around her neck. Her blond hair was pulled back with a few loose strands pulled back with a clip. "Who are you?" he questioned.  
The girl rubbed her forehead looking up, dazed. "Ow.. huh? Oh!"  
"I'm surprised she's still alive," Silph remarked standing up. "You could have been killed there."  
"Well you pulled me through," the girl rang out her hair. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "You!" she yelled, pointing at Tidus.  
"Wha-? Rikku?"  
"You tried to blow me up! What were you thinking?"  
"What was I-? Huh? What do you mean what was I thinking? What were you thinking?"  
"I was trying to take Yuna somewhere safe but you spoiled everything!"

"So many names to keep track of. This is a pain," Silph commented. She felt something hit her back.  
"Oh really?" a silky voice whispered. "I thought you were done with all this." Silph whirled to face Sarcasm, but he wasn't there. Looking around she spotted a rock at her feet. She picked it up then looked at Critter. "Can't be," she muttered. She threw the rock to the ground and the same voice sounded again. "Critter, why?"  
"What was that?" Roxas said to Silph.  
Sora took a deep breath and stood up. "Who are you?"  
Silph picked up the rock again and squeezed it tight. She looked up at the group then muttered, "I guess I really am done with this." She walked to the edge of the shoopuff and threw the rock overboard. As it splashed into the water she turned back towards the group and said, "My name is Silph."  
"I'm Sora." he began to introduce the group to her. He laughed slightly. "Sorry, kinda a lot of names to remember."  
"I know. I've been keeping track of them all." Critter walked up to Silph and handed her another rock. Silph accepted it and placed it in her pocket. "You forgot to say Riuki again, by the way. You seem to leave him out a lot. Poor guy." Critter nodded and walked over to Riuki and hugged his leg.  
"Aah! Really?" Sora blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry.."  
Yuki giggled.  
"Are you with that group? the one Jest's in?" Roxas asked.  
"It's hard to say now," said Silph. "I suppose I am, but things are getting really weird. Members are turning against themselves, making their own plans. I don't know what to believe anymore. One thing's for sure, they can't be trusted." Something else hit the back of Silph's head and Sarcasm's voice spoke again. "Now you're getting smart." Silph grabbed the rock and chucked it into the sea. "Alright! Where are you? I'll kill you myself!" She spun around and caught another rock and squeezed it. "Not today. Maybe later. Bye." Silph let the rock drop and it bounced across the deck.

"Hm," Sora thought. It might be wise not to take pointers from Rebel any longer. Who knew what he was up to. "Are there many left?"  
"Enough to cause trouble," said Silph. "There's Rebel, Jest, Angst, Passiva, and . . . Sarcasm." She wondered why she had hesitated to count him among the rest of the members. He was also acting very weird. Perhaps even stranger than Rebel. "Anyway, you should keep moving. It might even be best to leave me behind. You can take Boo and Critter if you want. They could help you. My presence can only bring trouble for you."  
"Wait," Kairi spoke. "Don't leave," she smiled as Boo zoomed happily around them. "If they have good intentions, I'm sure you do as well. Come with us."  
Sora started to open his mouth to protest but quickly closed it. She was right, they needed help. They were getting nowhere. Silph might be able to help, she seemed to know a lot about the group they were searching for.  
Silph sighed. "I must be getting soft then. Alright, I'll come with you, but on one condition." She opened her palm, summoning a light portal from behind. Pointing at it she said, "See this? Don't touch it. Ever. You do, you die. Got it?"  
"Wait a sec," Roxas extended his arm, opening the palm of his hand. A black portal appeared. "Isn't it just one of these though? Why would it kill us?"  
"No, it isn't," said Silph. "This one is a portal of light. You especially shouldn't enter Roxas, because you are acquainted with the darkness. The dark is more accepting of the people that pass through, but the light is a completely different story. The light will only accept those who are worthy or of a pure spirit. If you are not worthy the light will destroy you. I myself had to be tested before passing through. Now that I'm part of the light I cannot pass through the darkness. So if I were to touch your portal it would be just the same as you touching mine. So let's keep our hands to ourselves, shall we?" Silph closed her portal and sat down on the deck, exhausted. Critter walked up to her and sat in her lap. Hugging him close Silph leaned back against the rail and closed her eyes. "If you don't mind, I'm going to sleep for a while. If you need to wake me send Boo. I can't promise the safety of anyone else who tries." With that she relaxed and let herself rest.

Roxas closed his fist and the portal vanished, steadily fading then disappearing in a wisp of black smoke. Sora watched as it vanished. Light didn't seem like that to him. It was always thought it being accepting and open. But it was the same as darkness, it could cause harm to the other side. He looked at his friends. Wouldn't the light accept them too? They all had good intentions and resided there.  
"When is someone going to tell her we hit land?" Yuki yawned. "I want off this thing..."  
"Um, okay..." Sora walked over to Silph and bent down.  
"Wait! What about Boo-" Kairi started, but Sora already began tapping Silph.  
Roxas shook his head. Wasn't he listening? With luck she was still at least slightly awake, it was only a few seconds ago she lay down.

Silph awoke, startled from what little sleep she had gotten. As a reflex she pushed a portal out in front of her to defend herself from whatever enemy was there. Her heart sank as she opened her eyes to see Sora disappear through the portal. The portal itself raced across the deck and people dived out of the way having heard her conversation about it previously. Once out in the open water it closed. "Oops," was all she could say. She ran over to where the portal had disappeared and yelled, "Sora! Sora! Are you okay?" She scanned the water and began to panic. "No! You guys! Do you see him anywhere?" She was about to dive into the water to see if maybe he had reappeared underwater when a light portal opened over the water a ways out and dumped Sora with a splash. His arms flailed as he free fell then splashed into the Moonflow. A few bubbles rose to the top of the watter then Sora appeared, taking a big breath and shaking his head. So that's what she meant.  
"S-sorry!" was all he managed to say. Sora laid back in the water, swimming lazily. He laughed, took in a breath and started swimming to back to shore. "My bad."  
"What an idiot," Silph muttered shaking her head. At least he was still alive. Maybe he'd be more careful from now on. She smiled to herself as she watched Sora swim to shore. "Then again, maybe not."  
Lulu shook her head. "We need to continue."  
"Can I come?" Rikku cocked her head.  
"Yuna's on a special-"  
"Yes," Yuna nodded.  
Lulu looked shocked. "Yuna," Wakka protested. "There's so many of us already-"  
"Wakka," Lulu cut in. "It's Yuna's decision, so it's final. Let's continue to Guadosalem."  
The shoopuf made it to the loading dock. They boarded the lift, which lowered them back down to the ground.  
Kairi laughed, shaking her head as Sora shook the water off. "Come on," she giggled. "They're leaving."  
"Huh? Oh yeah!" He and Kairi ran up the path, to catch up with the group. He shook his shoes, still full of water, to reduce the sound of the sloshing it made with every step he took. Roxas grinned, shaking his head.  
Wakka turned to Sora. "We got quite a walk ahead of us, your shoes better stop making that noise or someone's going to have to carry you."  
"Uugh, I'm trying! Wakka!"  
Wakka laughed, continuing up the path.

_**Silph's finally a part of the group! A little about Silph.. Belladonadarkraven has been writing a story about Silph's world. She comes from a different world and background then the other characters. Her back story will be explained in our Cavern of Hearts: Origins story, along with the story of the Order. Silph's original world involved four main characters, each associated with a symbol [heart, diamond, club and clover]. Silph has the heart. Originally Silph's character was part of the Ace, containing an assassin, but it was cut from the final story.**_


	20. Liberator

_**::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!**_

_**Again, thanks for the reviews! It's great to hear your feedback!**_

___Chapter Note~ **Although the Thunder Plains were along the way to Guadosalam, we decided to cut it from the story. It's safe to say nothing really happened... at all, so we jumped ahead to the city of the Guado. [Now that Silph is part of the group, it was so much easier to paste the posts in the correct order!] As for Seymour... I don't know what it is, but he's one of the most irritable villains.. to me at least. From his schemes to his perpetually calm attitude, this guy just screams creeper. Love Final Fantasy! Again, in order for this world to work, many of the events and characters had to be switched from the Kh games to this story.**_

___**Again, there's a bit of a back and forth during the fight, but it's not that confusing. SO much happens during a fight, it's hard to stay focused on one group! [During the fight, Silph uses an attack called Nightmare. Belladonadarkraven explains here what it does: Will o' wisp is pretty self explicit, but Nightmare might need some explaining. ^^' Basically it surrounds the victim in shadows and visions of horror. The damage it receives during it's nightmare also happens to the real victim itself. You don't want to be hit by this, especially if you have a nightmare about falling or something. That would be bad. ^^' ] Next chapter!**_

Yuki took off her hat to fan herself. "Are we almost there?"  
"Yes," Lulu replied.  
"Good.. How much longer?"  
"At the end of this tunnel," Yuna pointed. "Look!"  
They walked up through the winding tunnel. On the other side, a city came into view. Sora stopped at the end of the tunnel. Guadosalam wasn't like any typical city he had seen. It seemed to be underground. It appeared plain with a mix of green and brown from the leaves and twisted roots growing around the city. To him, even the townsfolk looked part tree. There were some with what looked like decorative roots from their foreheads spread into their hair. At first glance, Guadosalam appeared dull, but the more they walked through the town, and across the bridges, the elaborate detail started to jump out.  
Tidus yawned. "What now?"  
"Lady Yuna!" A man rushed forward to greet them. He made a motion with his arms, bowing. Yuna did the same. Maybe it was a sign of respect? "My name is Tremal. Maester Seymour would like to speak with you now. Right this way please."  
"Certainly," Yuna bowed once more. "May my guardians be allowed to accompany us as well?"  
"Of course," Tremal said. He gestured for them to follow and led them inside the giant mansion.

Tremal showed the group into a large dining room with tables of food. "Wait here." He instructed. "I shall inform him of your arrival." As soon as he left Rikku began helping herself to the food while Tidus snooped about.  
"Mm!" Rikku grinned, stashing some food into her pockets.  
"What does he want?" Yuna wondered aloud.  
"We'll find out soon," Lulu told her.  
Tidus made his way to the back of the room. There was a door, a silk cloth is all that separated this room from the other side. He looked back at the group and slipped inside. The room was decorated with expensive furniture and statues. He walked around, studying the room. He looked down at one of the tables and noticed what looked like half of a glass sphere rested on a plate. He lifted it up, examining it and heard a small noise coming from it. Tidus dropped it as the noise grew louder and shone a bright light from it. A small figure of a man appeared in the light, like a mini hologram. The man had green hair, a Guado. He wore a ceremonial robe and had a sad look in his eyes.  
"For whoever is watching this," The recording spoke. "There is something I must say regarding my son, Seymour."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Lady Yuna," Tremal re-entered the room. "Maester Seymour awaits. Please follow me. The rest of you, please wait here and make yourselves comfortable." Yuna followed Tremal out of the dining hall and up the staircase to the second level. Tremal held open the door, ushering her inside. He closed the door behind her. On the far side of the room was Seymour.  
"Ah, Yuna," He smiled, pleasantly.  
"Maester Seymour," Yuna gave a small bow.  
"There's no need for formalities here Yuna," Seymour walked over to her. "You are a guest here. Please, have a seat," he gestured toward a chair.  
"No thank you," Yuna said, politely. "I'm fine. Maester Seymour, what is it you wanted to see me about?"  
"Straight to the point then?" He raised an eyebrow. "I have some items of business I'd wish to address you- a proposition."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Silph noticed Tidus slip away, but said nothing. It didn't matter to her what he did. Still, she had an unpleasant feeling about this place. She couldn't quite understand what. Part of her wanted to shake it off, but her trained self wouldn't let it go. She picked up Critter and held him close and kept a close eye on Boo who was hovering around Kairi's head. If there was trouble, her gaurd was up, and she was ready.

"Yuna!" Tidus ran out of the room grasping the sphere.  
"What were you doing in there?" Lulu scolded.  
Tidus ignored her. "Where's Yuna!"  
"She left," Sora answered. "That guy took her out, saying Seymour wanted to speak with her. What happened?"  
Tidus bolted out the door, calling for Yuna. Sora looked at the group and darted out. "Wait!" Roxas called, following behind.  
"Uugh," Wakka, shook his head. "Let's go then."

Tidus burst through the door. "Yuna!" he ran to her. Seymour smiled and turned around, walking over to the far side table and poured himself a glass of water.  
Yuna was white. "Wha- What are you doing here?"  
"Yuna, are you alright?"  
"I- I think so.." She stepped forward, pacing around in a small circle. The rest of the group appeared through the doorway, watching the scene. "He.. Maester Seymour.. asked me to marry him," she said quietly, shaking her head slowly. She looked up at him from across the room, his eyes watching her.  
"Maester Seymour," Lulu said with slight surprise. "You know that would be against the rules- her pilgrimage."  
"Yes," He set his glass down. "I am aware, Yuna has a very big responsibility. Liberating all of Spira," he stepped forward toward Yuna.  
"Don't you go near her!" Tidus stepped in between them.  
"Why is that?" Seymour said, amused.  
"You killed Jesquel."  
Jesquel was the previous ruler of the Guado and Seymour's father. Lulu looked at Seymour. "Is this true?"  
He smiled. "What of it?"  
"How could you?" Yuna shook her head. "He was your father."  
"Spira," he stepped forward toward her, moving Tidus out of the way. He rested his hands on her shoulders. "Is a world of sorrows, trapped forever in a spiral of death. The people need to be liberated, my father is just on of the few- of thousands to come."  
"You!" She tried to step back but he held his grip.

"Let go of her!" Tidus pulled out brotherhood and charged at Seymour who simply smirked and stepped aside still holding onto Yuna.  
"Let go!" She pleaded, struggling to remove his hands.  
"As you wish," he said, releasing her. She stumbled back, Tidus caught her.  
"Yuna, what of my request?"  
"Never," she stood up. "I don't understand you."  
"Hm," Seymour said. "Is that your answer then?"  
"Yes."  
"Pity.." he stepped back from the group. "If you are not willing to aid me in saving Spira," he raised his hand, a small staff appearing in it. "Then you leave me no choice."  
Tidus, Wakka Auron and Sora ran in front of Yuna. "You'll have to go through all of us first," Sora challenged.  
Seymour chuckled silently. "Very well then, if you are offering up your lives, I will have to take them."  
Yuna tensed, summoning her rod. Riku and Lulu stepped forward as well, leaving the rest to cover from behind.  
"Easy," Tidus grinned. "There's enough of us here to take you on any day."  
Seymour smiled. He raised his staff. The ground began to rumble. A black portal opened between them. A giant creature emerged, wrapped in chains and writhing in agony. It was the same creature from the arena.  
"Anima!" Seymour called. "Annihilate them."

Seymour stepped to the side of Anima, to get a better view of the struggle. The group glanced up at the tall monster. It let out a chilling screech, almost reptile-like. Kairi plugged her ears, trying to reduce the noise from the monster's cry. Riku looked up at the monster. "How do we defeat it?"  
"Just give it all you've got!" Tidus said, with a slight hint of uncertainty in his voice. "It's bound to give in at some point!"  
"Kay," Sora nodded.  
"Be careful though," Yuna warned. "It's an aeon."  
"Alright let's do this!" Wakka smiled rushing to the front.

Sora charged forward drawing the Kingdom Key. Anima's eye began to glow and he was hit with a strong force that sent him flying into the wall. He groaned as he collapsed, shaking his head.  
"You alright?" Roxas called summoning his keyblades.  
Yuna stepped closer to the creature. She twirled her staff and held it over the floor. A flame shot down the staff falling onto the floor. She followed the flame with her hand and touched the ground. The flames burst, a large beast-like creature leaped from the flames in front of them. Sora took a step back.  
"Dont worry," Wakka said. "It's her aeon."  
Sora eased up. "Oh."

Silph stayed in front of the girls and Riuki in case anything were to happen. This wasn't her fight and she wouldn't get involved unless she absolutely needed to. Critter held her leg and was looking up at the huge creature with curiosity. He looked back and Silph and pointed. "No, Critter," she said. "That one is too big for you. Leave it alone and stay here. You too, Boo!" she added as Boo started forward. "We are what you call backup. We'll only fight if they need us. Too many people fighting in one place can lead to accidents. You understand?" Boo and Critter nodded and stood back to watch.  
Yuna pointed her staff at Anima. "Please," she said quietly. Ifrit jumped into the air, throwing two spheres of fire at Anima. The fire shot up into a column of flame. Ifrit's mouth opened wide, shooting one last fire ball into the fire. Ifrit landed on the ground, slamming its fists into the hard floor. The aeon seized the ground, slowly pulling out a large portion of the floor and threw it into the flames. The column burst on impact. Seymour raised his arm to shield himself from the wind, and gave a slight grin. Anima screeched in pain.  
"Did it hurt it?" Kairi asked, looking up at Anima. It looked similar to what it was before.  
"Only a little," Yuna said. "I think it angered it more than anything."  
Seymour lowered his arm. "Destroy it," Seymour commanded.  
A black portal appeared beneath Ifrit, causing the aeon to sink down. Ifrit struggled to escape but disappeared inside. The portal sealed itself up.

Tidus slashed his sword though the air. "Aw, c'mon guys! Don't just sit there!" He rushed forward toward Anima, raising brotherhood. Anima's eye began to glow and sent Tidus flying back into the wall. He clenched his teeth.  
"Tidus!" Yuna screamed, starting to rush to his aid.  
"Don't come over here," Tidus placed the sword in the ground, using it to help himself up. "Stay with the group, we don't want you to get exposed, he's trying to get to you."  
"How are we supposed to defeat it, if we can't get anywhere near it?" Sora asked, still in his stance.  
"I've got an idea," Tidus said. "Half of you stay here and keep this thing busy, I need a few of you to follow me." Sora and Wakka stepped forward, following Tidus.  
Tidus charged at Seymour, raising Brotherhood. Seymour glanced up at Tidus, smirking. "Very well," he pointed his staff at him and lightning shot out through the tip.

Silph felt it was finally time to step up. She stood next to Riku and drew out Heartbreaker. She pulled it into it's two halves and pointed the light spear at Anima. Light began to form at the tip getting brighter and bigger. Within a few moments it burst towards the creature with a blinding flash. "Let's take it down," she said to Riku and Roxas. "You ready for some serious teamwork?"  
Roxas gripped Oblivion and Oath Keeper. "Yeah," he nodded. "You can control light too right? The light from just now seemed to agitate it, but caused enough of a distraction. You and I can alternate throwing light at it while the three of us advance toward it. Riku would be able to go for the direct hit."  
"Alright," said Silph launching off another beam. "Let's do it." The three of them rushed toward Anima, Riku in between the Silph and Roxas. As soon as the light seemed to lose affect from the last blow, Roxas struck another. The two of them continued to alternate, then threw one at the same time, expanding the amount of light streaming toward Anima. Anima roared, attempting to move away but the chains kept it bound in place. Riku jumped up, turning once midair to increase the impact of his keyblade, then struck Anima. He kicked off, pulling his keyblade with him. Anima let out a cry of pain, attempting to strike his attackers but was still recovering from the blindness.  
"That seems to be working," said Silph preping for another attack. "Let's take care of this quick so we can help the others." It felt odd to her to be part of a group, but the sensation wasn't all bad. There was a sense of comradery that she hadn't experience while being a part of the soul group. This felt right. She seemed to belong.

The two of them continued distracting Anima while Riku rushed in for the direct hit. Anima threw its head back, still agitated. Anima's eye began to glow and his Roxas and Silph, causing them to fly back. They skidded to a stop across the floor. "It's getting used to it now," Roxas looked up at the creature. "We're upsetting it more than anything, we need to think of something else."  
"Take another approach," Riku suggested.  
Roxas paused. "Alright. You two go in then, I'll distract it." He extended the palm of his hand toward Anima. A thick darkness began to engulf it.

Tidus stood up, shaking it off. "Sora!"  
"Yeah," Sora nodded. The two of them ran forward, simultaneously dodging Seymour's spells. Seymour raised his staff as the two of them drew nearer. Tidus leaped out of the way from another bolt and jumped forward. On the other side of Seymour, Sora did the same. The keyblade and sword slashed down, shattering the staff.  
Seymour clenched his teeth. "Insolent fools," his staff disappeared completely. He let out a small laugh. "Very well," he grinned. A hazy light engulfed him and he rose in the air. The light faded revealing Seymour in almost a metallic form. "Your life ends here," his voice sounded morphed. He stretched out his hand and flames shot out toward Yuna.  
"NO!" Tidus yelled. He pushed Yuna out of the way, being engulfed in the flames. The fire ceased, and Tidus fell to his knees. He let in a staggered breath and collapsed. Yuna rushed to his side. "No," she shook her head. "Stop it!" she yelled.  
Seymour slowly cocked his head. "You know what you must do in order for this to end."  
"Yeah right!" Sora clenched his fist. "You'll go back against your word and try to kill her!"  
"Don't listen to him Yuna," Wakka told her. "Sora's right, he'll just continue what he started."  
Seymour waved his hand lazily. "You know it's for the good of Spira, Yuna. Isn't that what you want? To liberate all those troubled souls who have no other hope than to turn to summoners as their light?"  
Yuna glanced once at Tidus then slowly rose to her feet. She grasped her staff tight, still looking down at the ground. "I want.. the people of Spira to live in peace, and to rid our world of Sin. I want Spira to be full of light." She looked up at him. "But I'm not willing to do that by filling their hearts with false hope, and ending their struggles by ending their lives. That is why I will fight you."  
Seymour's expression tensed. "So be it." He raised his arm to cast another spell but Sora aimed his keyblade at him, "Thunder!" he yelled. Lightning shot out and struck Seymour. Sparks surged around his body. Seymour laughed clenching his fist, and shaking.  
Sora took a small step back. "He's lost it," he watched Seymour, hesitantly.  
The surged through his arm and he redirected the spell at Sora, hitting him full force. Magic had no affect on him, if anything it made him stronger.  
Tidus slowly rose, using Brotherhood as support. "Then we have to hit him head on. Sora, go to the other side. If we surround him we're not completely open targets." Tidus made a quick glance at the girls. "Lulu, Rikku, take Yuna and get out of here! It's too dangerous for her to stay."  
Sora nodded in agreement. "You go to." He motioned to Riuki and the others who weren't fighting.  
"What? No way!" Yuki complained.  
"I'm not leaving without you guys." Yuna stated. She let out a small gasp of surprise when Kimahri picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. "Guardians keep Yuna safe. Yuna go where it's safe." And with that he, Lulu ,and Rikku rand out the door with Kairi, Riuki, and Namine following behind. Amu paused to look at Yuki who wasn't following. "Come on." She urged.  
"No way." Yuki glared and summoned her hammer. "I can fight too!" She charged toward Seymour.  
Auron let out a chuckle. He pulled out his own sword to join the fight.

Amu hesitated and followed them out the door, keeping the door slightly open to peek in at the fight.  
Auron hit him with Dragon Fang while the others closed in. Seymour waved his hand, making an invisible force repel their attacks.  
Sora stood up from his stance. "What do you want with this anyway? Killing Spira isn't going to stop this 'Sin'."  
"It isn't Sin I'm preventing," Seymour spoke with determination. "Sin is a never ending cycle of sorrow for Spira, causing torment and strife. Sin might be the answer of freeing Spira of such sorrow. As I said, ending life on Spira ends the cycle of pain."  
"Aw, just shut up!" Tidus yelled. He gripped Brotherhood and ran at Seymour. He jumped up into the air and clutched the blade with both hands, bringing Seymour down with a heavy blow.

Silph rushed forward. "Boo!" she shouted. Boo flew to her side. She was terribly excited about being invited to join. "I need your will o' wisp," Silph shouted as she aimed her spear at Anima. Boo bobbed up and down and landed on her blade. As the light began to form at it's tip Boo began to first burn red, then blue. By the time the light had fully form it had meshed with Boo's flames. "Now!" Silph let the fireball go to hit Anima in the face. She didn't pause to see if it had worked, but instead jumped back and prepared for another attack. "Critter!" Critter ran up, ready to fight. Boo fell back a bit to watch. Silph's spear disappeared and the other half of Heartbreaker appeared in her hand. Unlike the glowing light from the Heart Spear, this one was dull and ominous looking. "Let's give it a nightmare," she said to Critter. Critter grabbed hold of the end of the blade and held on as Silph raised it. Light also formed at it's tip, but it mingled among shadows. Critter himself began to be a shadow and when the light was launched, so was he. This attack flew at Anima's head, and as light hit and bounced back off the shadows along with Critter passed through.  
"Is it dead yet?" Silph asked as Critter returned. Boo came closer too, ready to asist if needed. She looked from Roxas to Riku. "I think I can get it with one more blow. I'll need a good distraction though. Any ideas?"  
"Maybe," Roxas said. "What kind of a distraction?"  
"Something that will keep that thing off me for at least thirty seconds," said Silph.  
"Okay." Roxas adjusted Oath Keeper and Oblivion into an underhand position. He threw them as hard as he could toward Anima. The blades stopped in midair on each side of the giant aeon. They began to glow and shot a pillar of light toward the ground. Light ropes crept up from the ground and bound Anima to be sure it wouldn't be able to move. The light rope crept up past its eye, almost acting like a blindfold. It would at least prevent him from seeing whatever it was Silph had up her sleeve, for at least a few moments.

The Heart Spear appeared in Silph's other hand. She placed both pieces back together to form Heartbreaker once again. Critter looked up at her scared. "It'll be alright," Silph smiled. "I've been practicing." Critter didn't seem so sure. He ran up to Roxas and began pulling him back. Boo raced over to Riku and levitated him to the back of the room. Silph began to whisper something and Heartbreaker started to glow. The whispers started to blend together and echo around the room and a strong wind started to blow out from Silph herself. She released Heartbreaker and it hung in the air. The whispering continued even louder as Heartbreak started to spin. It whirled faster and faster, shining brighter and brighter until it looked like a brilliant orb. With a final shout the orb launched forward and smashed into Anima. Silph then quickly opened a light portal all around the creature to keep the wave of energy in check. Even so the blast was enough to send her skidding backwards against the wall. Boo had a barrier up around herself and Riku while Critter was standing his ground with his own barrier in front of Roxas. The waves of energy poured over them and wind shrieked past their ears. Critter was doing his best to keep his barrier up, but Boo was a better barrier builder. His own was steadily growing smaller and a few seams were coming undone on his arms and legs. A final waved smashed into the barrier and shattered it. All turned suddenly still. Silph got up from the ground and looked over the damage. Boo and Riku were fine, and so was Roxas, but Critter was now pieces of stuffing and fabric all across the room.

Roxas opened is eyes as soon as things started to clear. Anima was gone. He looked around the room, taking a few steps forward. "Wait- what happened to-?" he looked at the stuffing and fabric, then back at Silph. "Is that him?"  
Riku gave a slight nod to Boo, and dismissed his keyblade. He walked over to Silph and Roxas.  
"Yes, that's Critter," said Silph. She folded her arms over her chest and sighed. She was worn out. "He'll be fine. See look, he's already pulling himself together." She nodded towards the stuffing that was rolling towards where Critter had once stood. "You don't think I'd make something that would break that easily now do you?"  
Roxas smiled, watching Critter reassemble himself. "Neat trick," he laughed. "I didn't know he could do that."

Seymour fell to his knees, the metallic layers vanished. "N-no.. I'm not going to-"  
"You're finished Seymour," Tidus shook his head. He brought Brotherhood down with a final vertical slash. Pireflies flew around the room and Seymour began to fade until he vanished completely.  
"All right!" Yuki shouted. She dismissed her hammer and gave Tidus a big hug.  
He looked down in surprise. "Oh, uh heh.. excuse me," he slid her off and rushed over to Yuna.  
"You guys okay?" Tidus asked.  
"We had a little trouble with Seymour's guards but nothing we couldn't handle." Lulu answered.  
"I'm glad your alright." Yuna smiled at Tidus.  
"Me? I was worried about you," he laughed.

Sora and the others walked through the doors into the lobby where the others stood talking. "What are you going to do now, Yuna?" Sora dismissed his keyblade.  
"Um," she looked up at the ceiling, slightly swaying from side to side. "Well I suppose I'm moving on with my pilgrimage. Seymour is gone, but it's not over yet. I would like to see this through until the end."  
"Yeah! And we'll be there too," Tidus grinned, folding his arms.  
"Hey," Wakka pulled Tidus in and ruffled his hair. "You're getting cocky, even after you just got fried. What's the matter with ya, huh?"  
Tidus struggled to get out of his grip,"Hey cut it out!"  
Kairi and Yuki giggled.  
"Well," Sora scratched the back of his head. "Everything looks fine now, I guess we better head off."  
"Where are you going?" Yuna asked, curiously.  
"I guess wherever we can find answers," Riku said.  
"Oh! That reminds me," Sora smacked his fist in the palm of his hand. "If you guys see anything out of the ordinary, like those heartless or even that weird group I mentioned, let us know."  
"Will do," Tidus said. "Good luck."  
"You too."

Lulu opened the door. "Come," she urged. Yuna gave a small wave with a cheerful smile, while Wakka and Tidus shouted their good-byes as they left. Sora watched Auron turn to leave. "Auron!" he called.  
Auron gave a slight nod, his way of saying 'good-bye'. "See you again," he turned, walking out the doorway.

_**That's it for Spira! I'll try to post more in the next few days!**_


	21. Discovery and Dealings

**_::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!_**

**__****_That's a great point. From the first stages of planning of the story, we agreed this adventure would have to include all three friends, Sora, Riku and Kairi. But as to why the three of them are journeying together is to be explained in the second. The story hasn't been filled in yet, even from what we, at this point, know. Back stories and other explanations will be covered and explained in our next story as well as the one before [our 'prequel' to Cavern of Hearts]. We also built and centered certain worlds allowing the characters to encounter certain events and develop. In the world we had to cut from the fanfiction version of the story [the Olympus Colosseum] cut many of the scenes involving her and Namine. In this world, the group was separated in the Underworld. Kairi, Namine and Riuki ended up at the Colosseum, where they met Confused. In this scene both Kairi and Namine had their chance to fight Confused on their own. Since so much had to be cut from that world we had to take it out altogether, but it didn't feel as though those characters had really done much once it was taken out._**  


_Chapter Note_**_~ Hooray for oober short chapters- or paragraphs! :S There's really not much to say about it, being so tiny and all. I suppose this was mainly for the story's progression. With only 5 members of the Order remaining, the group is only worlds away from the finish._**

**_So... school has officially started, which means it might take a few days between each chapter :P [The others are the usual chapter size! This is the last 'small' one!] Chapter 21!_**

Passiva walked out through the tall white doors of Kingdom Hearts. She gently shut them behind her and turned around. She paused. "Rebel."  
"Yes?" Rebel stood leaning against the wall, his arms folded. He kicked off taking a few steps forward. "Kingdom Hearts," he scanned the tall doors. Parts of the frame were missing, while the doors were intact. "How long did it take for you to rebuild it? The Organization spent years attempting to recreate it."  
She didn't respond. He stopped at the front of the doors. "I'm curious, do the others know?" he grinned, studying her expression.  
Passiva remained impassive, debating her next move.  
"Are you going to kill me? I hold a few cards of my own as well. The Order is absconding. More than half the members have been lost-"  
"If I'm not mistaken," She spoke in her calm, slow tone. "The majority of those recurring incidents hold you to blame."  
Rebel shrugged, but appeared to be somewhat proud with himself. "Guess I'm not the only one with secrets," he said slyly. "Nor am I the only one to fail their commands."  
Passiva quickly summoned her sword, thrusting it toward his throat, but by the time it appeared, he was gone. She dismissed the blade, turning toward the staircase.  
Things had finally got out of hand, a sign to draw things to a quick end.

"Sarcasm," she called.  
Sarcasm walked out of a dark mist to stand before Passiva. "You screamed?" he said. "I guess I can't really call that a scream though. Your voice is much too soft for that. Perhaps a level above an indoor voice and below a shout. Is there something you wanted?"  
"Silph has aligned herself with the others and could provide them with critical information about our Order or infiltrate the stronghold. See to it that she is silenced. We no longer have any further use of her."  
Sarcasm stopped smiling. "She did what?' he asked. His orders were to get rid of her anyway, but as long as Silph had remained no serious threat to them Passiva had kept off his back. Now that she had chosen sides there was no more stalling those orders. "That's . . . disappointing." He folded his arms across his chest and sighed. "I'll do as you ask, Passiva. For real this time."  
"Do not hesitate," she added. "Report back as soon as the task is complete."**_  
_**


	22. Launch

**_::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, Darkblade65 and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!_**

_Chapter Note~ **In the early stages of planning we picked a handful of worlds we'd like to see in our Kingdom Hearts story. A few of which included two of the 'forgotten Disney' classics. **Treasure Planet **and** Atlantis** were a few of Bella and Hikari's favorites, and an absolute must. We already plotted which events take place at which worlds, leaving Angst's world still, undetermined. After some talk, **Treasure Planet** ended up making it to the final cut.**** Before they suggested it, I had only seen the movie once myself. We sat down and watched it together, taking notes on what we wanted to have or exclude. This world was tons of fun! For those of you who have never watched **Treasure Planet**, absolutely I recommend it! It was fun to see how Disney recreated **Treasure Island**, taking on an "intergalactic" twist. The storyline is tweaked to fit with the events, however we hoped to stay true to the story as well. It would be great to have **Treasure Planet **make an appearance**** later in the **Kingdom Hearts** series.**_

Rebel walked up to the top floor window of Naught's Skyscraper. The room was covered in darkness, illuminated by the neon signs outside. The screens from the floor above him flickered on and off, while faint images flashed across them. He slumped down on the chair next to the window, watching the shower of rain trickle down the glass. Lightning flashed, followed shortly by a crash of thunder. It always rained here, but he preferred it that way. He slumped down further, resting his head on his fist.  
He heard a small giggle. "So this is where you ran off to? You know she'll find you here." Jest walked up to the wide window and stopped, holding her moogle close to her and watched the rain trickle down on the pavement below.  
"She knows," he said lazily. "It's just not that much of a concern of hers to take me out personally. Not yet anyways. She has other duties before she lets down the guard and brings them in. That's probably why you're here?"  
She lifted the moogle up to her level, taking a look at it. "Cute isn't it?" She showed him. When he showed no apparent interest in it, she resumed. "O-kay, yes. But I'm allowing the orders to 'slip' until after I take the threats down and bring in the ones we need. We're so close!"  
He looked up. "Angst's up then?"  
"That's right," Jest smiled, hugging the moogle doll. "And I bet he's not going to last much longer, not with that temper of his! I warned him it'll be his downfall. Pigheadedness makes you venerable, weak and susceptible to slipping up through a blind mistake."  
"What's Sarcasm up to then? Is he still around?"  
"Yes, but he's been given a new set of orders from Passiva as a chance to 'redeem himself'- i believe were the words she told him. Looks like it will only be the four of us in the end. Shame though, we started with about a dozen of us and fell the same as the previous Organization. Maybe we're not too different than the nobodies after all."  
"Just the weak ones," he said.  
She sighed. "I suppose so.. well I'm leaving, it won't be long before she picks up that I was here. Besides, I'm the next to play." She laughed with excitement. "Good-bye!" she disappeared in a wisp of silver mist. He sat for a moment, allowing the discussion to sink in, then disappeared.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Sora stepped out of the portal onto what appeared to be a harbor of some sort. Crowds of people moved from the town, boarding the docks with their luggage and merchandise. A teenage boy stood at the dock by a large ship, searching the crowd. He had brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, the bottom half of his hair, buzzed.  
"C'mon lad! Hurry it up!" A sailor called from the ship.  
"Hold on a minute!" The boy shouted back, still scanning the crowd.

Sora sighed. "Now where? All we know is what the group's after and that we can't get inside their 'base'. Do we have any leads?"  
Silph shrugged. "Perhaps we should go find answers from the members that are left," she suggested. "They all have their own worlds they are supposed to be on. Doesn't necessarily mean they stay there." She thought of Sarcasm and how he seemed to be following her around. He was either deliberately disobeying orders or had a new assignment. Or both. Rules seemed to be flexible in his mind. Critter was now back in one piece and walked over to her, curious to see what the conversation was about. "Angst's assigned here, at the Space Port."  
"Let's find him," Yuki jumped up. "And get some information outta him!"  
Sora nodded in agreement. He noticed the boy standing by the docks. "Wonder what he's doing?" He ran off toward his direction. The boy looked up, noticing Sora looking in his direction. Maybe he was interested?  
"You looking for something?" Sora asked.  
"Well, my ship's about to leave port but... we are in need of a few more deckhands. We're a bit shorthanded."  
"What ship?"  
The boy pointed behind him in the harbor. "There. RLS Legacy." The crew was scrambling around the deck, hoisting the sails and preparing for leave.  
"Hurry it up boy!" One of them shouted, cupping their hands.  
"Hold ON!" He yelled back. He turned to Sora. "Would you guys be interested?"  
Riku stepped forward, pulling Sora back by his shoulder. "Tell him we can't. We need to start looking."  
"Riku, this could be fun though!" Sora smiled, not taking his eyes off the ship. The last time he was on a ship was back in Port Royal. He was due for another ride. "Sure!" he told the boy.  
"Wha-?" Riku stared at Sora in disbelief. He shook his head. Sora will be Sora.  
"Great!" He grinned. "Follow me," he turned and stopped. "Oh, I'm Jim by the way. Jim Hawkins."  
"Sora," he responded. He introduced the group.  
"Alright then," he walked up the ramp. "Let's get going."

"You two behave," Silph told Critter and Boo as they boarded. There were many odd and dangerous looking people. She was sure they could handle them, but that was also what worried her. There was no reason to pick a fight. She scanned the crowd just in case Angst was around. His movements were hard to track because he tended to change his mind constantly depending on his mood.

The group stood on the deck, glancing around the ship from the wheel to the crow's nest. Silph notice a funny looking dog man arguing with a cat like woman. She was poised and had the air of leadership. Next to her stood a stone man dressed in red uniform at attention. The woman faced the group mid-sentence, clearing her throat. "Mr. Hawkins?"  
"They've volunteered to be out deckhands, we can leave now."  
"As Captain, I will determine when the RLS Legacy is to depart." She turned her attention to the group behind Jim. "Hello, I'm Captain Amelia. Pleased to meet you all," she spoke quickly yet confidently in a distinct accent. There was a slight hint of insincerity in her words. "As much as I'd like to stay and chat, I've a ship to launch. Mr. Hawkins, see to it they understand their assignments."  
"We're all clear Captain!" The sailor from the crows nest shouted.  
"Excellent," she smiled. "ALL HANDS TO STATIONS!"  
The crew scrambled to their positions. "RELEASE THE SOLAR SAILS!"  
The sails were loosened from their bindings, catching in the wind. Slowly, the ship rose into the sky. The girls steadied themselves and ran to the railing to watch the ship lift off. Sora took a step toward the railing, his foot falling through the air. He looked down at his feet, noticing he was hovering inches from the ground. Sora grinned, watching as the entire crew and loose items slowly rose from the deck.  
"ENGAGE ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY!"  
A large, slug-like crew member saluted the Captain and pulled a lever. Sora dropped to the ground, landing on his back. "Ow," he groaned, rising to his feet.  
"FULL SPEED AHEAD!" Captain Amelia shouted. "Brace yourself, Doctor," she said to the dog man. He made a face at her before the ship shot off at full speed sending him flying backwards. Silph managed to keep her footing and the majority of the crew. Critter rolled across the deck and Boo floated happily after him.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed. Roxas smiled, peering over the edge. Namine grasped the railing, glancing up at the starry sky.  
"So where are we going?" Sora asked Jim.  
Jim picked up two wooden buckets full of apples and set them on a barrel. "To another world. There's something there I've been wanting to find for a long time."  
"What is it-?"  
"JIM!" A voice shouted from below the deck.  
"I'm coming!" He yelled. "I'll be back," he walked down to the lower level.

"Should we be pulling at ropes or something?" Silph asked watching the ship soar away from the dock. "I don't think this is a pleasure cruise."  
"You there, secure the ropes!" A crew member shouted from behind the mast, tying the rope down. "What are you doing?"  
"Huh?" Sora looked around. "Uhh.. aye aye!" he approached some loose ropes, hesitantly, picking them up and copying the sailor.  
"Oi!" A voice shouted at the girls from below. "You should be in the kitchen! Get down here!"  
"Huh?" Yuki folded her arms. "Now wait a minute- there's no way I'm-"  
"Now!"  
"Come on," Silph said walking towards the kitchen. "You do good work in a kitchen they reward you with food. Sound good to you Yuki?"  
"Oh oki!" Yuki dashed down below deck. Amu passed Kairi, giving her a glance then tossing her hair back to the side and entering below, keeping her head held high. Kairi and Namine shrugged and followed them down to the kitchen. Silph ducked her head as they entered the kitchen. It was rather spacious with tables set out for the crew. Jim was over at the far end peeling what looked like potatoes and a large man with mechanical appendages was cooking away.

The man with the mechanical arm turned toward them, greeting them. "There ye are! If you could go on and start washing over there," he pointed to the sink. Silph shrugged. She took off her jacket and gloves and placed them on a chair. Going up to the sink she rolled up her sleeves and began to wash. Critter had followed them along with Boo and was looking at the bubbly water. "You stay out of this," said Silph. "I don't have time to wring you out." Critter nodded and walked over to a barrel. He looked inside and smile wide. Apples! He picked one up and walked over to the big man. He held up the apple and pointed to himself. Boo buzzed in circles having nothing better to do.  
The man let out a booming laugh. "Aye, I suppose ye can," he went back to stirring a large pot of soup. Amu cocked her head, staring at his mechanical eye. Yuki elbowed her and she continued working. The man lifted his ladle and tasted the soup. "So Jim, me boy! You found more crew now, didja?"  
"Yeah," he said, barely looking back. He tossed the finished potato into a bucket. "These guys decided to come along, along with a few others."  
"Ah, good! The name's Silver," the man grinned. "So where are ye'all from?"  
"All over the place," Silph answered. Critter stuck his apple in his mouth and grinned in content. "I believe these two are from Twilight Town or something along those lines. I'm not so sure about the rest. Kairi? Do you know?"  
"Hm?" She hesitated. She had been told not to give away which worlds they had come from. It was considered 'meddling'. But these people were able to cross over to other worlds too, so she figured it wouldn't have to apply. "A few us us are from an island very far away," she gave a small laugh. It then struck her that she still didn't know all that much about Silph. "Where are you from Silph?"  
Silph paused. "It's far away and I don't know if I'll be going back," she finally said. "They've probably chosen another Ace anyway." She began to scrub dishes furiously. The memories from her life before she had fallen beyond her own world through her own light portal flashed before her eyes. Ridge, Cloe, and even Ace . . . she missed them.  
Kairi looked down. "Oh. I'm sorry," She continued scrubbing the dishes and laid some aside to be dried. She felt as though it would have been best not to have brought it up in the first place. But then again, how would she have known?

Silph was taken away from her thoughts of self pity when her water started bubbling. She paused in her washing to watch it. She was further surprised when the bubbles looked at her and quickly closed it's eyes again. "What is . . ." she pocked the water and it began to laugh and turn pink. A strange blob darted into the air laughing. Silph could only stare at the odd thing, but Boo darted over and began examining the thing. Within moments they were both chasing each other around the room. "What is that thing?" Silph asked Silver.  
"Eh? Ah, that's Morph," Laugh Silver. "Harmless little fellow, pay him no mind he won't do anything to ye."  
Jim sat up on the counter and set the peeler down. "Anything else?"  
"Just a moment," Silver rolled a barrel over to Jim. "Open it up and take a look inside."  
Jim stood it up and removed the lid, peering inside the barrel. It was full of unpeeled potatoes. Jim scrunched his face in disappointment, "Aw man, you're kidding," he said under his breath. He grabbed the peeler and continued finishing the potatoes.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Roxas leaned against the railing, watching as the planet grew smaller and smaller. "So others can travel to worlds too? Even people from other worlds?"  
"Guess so," Riku said, helping Sora finish tying down the rest of the ropes.  
Sora slumped down against the mast, leaning his head back. "So what do we do now?"  
Riku grinned. "I thought you wanted to go along with them."  
"I do! It's just that we've secured the mast, threw out whatever was in those buckets, swept the deck- twice and mopped. Where are the pirates?"  
"Pirates?" Riku laughed. "I don't know about that."  
"But what do we do?"  
"Everything should be smooth-sailing for now," Jim said.  
"Oh, there you are," Sora stood up.  
"Just finished down in the kitchen- well, sort of. I'll get back to it later. Your friends should be coming. You guys are free to do whatever until they call for assistance. It will still be awhile until we reach our destination."  
"So, are you guys space pirates?" Sora asked with a slight smile.  
"Space pirates? I wouldn't say that, although there are some out there somewhere. Along with some strange creatures that have showed up recently. No one knows quite what they are."  
Riuki who was trying to figure out how to tie a knot using a spare rope joined the boys. "I can't do any of this stuff." He frowned still fingering the rope. "I can mop but they say I'm too slow and I trip over the bucket a lot. Oh, sorry you guys were talking."  
"Here," Roxas offered, holding out his hand. "Can I see that?" Riuki nodded, handing him the rope. Roxas began to teach him how to tie a knot while Sora began telling Jim about the heartless.

Sora slumped down and leaned back against the side wall. He sighed, "Wake me up if anything happens."  
Kairi walked up the stairs and stepped onto the deck, stretching her arms out and smiling. "It feels nice up here, got a little stuffy back in the kitchen," she laughed. Namine nodded. "I wonder what that world will be like. They're all so different, it's kind of exciting. You know?"  
There was a giant crashing sound and the ship began to tilt to its side. Kairi grasped to the side of the railing. A bucket of apples rolled off a barrel and landed on Sora, waking him up. "Ah! What-? Huh?" He stood up glancing around.  
"What is it?" she looked at Sora.  
"Hey," Roxas called from across the deck. "What hit us?"

A cluster of mist formed on top of the crow's nest. The mist dispersed, taking the form of a man. He was tall and muscular, wearing a black and gray vest. A black beanie covered his spiky white hair. He jumped down from the crow's nest, landing next to Kairi.  
"Ahoy Mateys," he grinned drawing a long, spear-like weapon. A two-pronged claw formed at the tip of the spear.  
Silph rushed on deck and looked around. She spotted Angst and growled. Boo and Critter rushed up behind her and waited for orders. "Boo, get Kairi now!" Boo shot off. Silph followed close behind and used a light portal to get between Angst and Kairi. "Angst! You have a lot of nerve showing up here. What about your assignment?" she yelled trying to keep him distracted. Boo levitated Kairi and set her down gently next to Sora. She purred loudly and snuggled up against her cheek.  
"Temporarily on hold to deal with you guys," he responded.  
Kairi thanked Boo and peered over the railing, trying to find the source of the aura.  
"Us?" Sora summoned Kingdom Key. "What do you have against us?" They didn't even know who this Angst was. Roxas summoned his keyblades and stepped in front of Namine, Amu and Yuki to keep them out of harm's way. "Stay behind me," he ordered.

"Lemme guess," Yuki rolled her eyes. "His name's 'Angst', so he's the anger guy, right? Grumpy people can be naive."  
Angst must have heard her, because his smile vanished in a blink of an eye. "Get them." was all he said. A mix of Surveillance Robots and Blitz Spear heartless advanced at his command. The Surveillance heartless hovered around the group, surrounding them, while the two Blitz Spears surrounded them on either side.  
"What are they?" Jim gripped a dagger and eyed the enemies carefully.  
"Heartless," Sora explained. He turned to Angst. "What is it you want?" The Surveillance Robot's blades spun around them, a light forming from underneath. Sora and Riku lashed out, eliminating the heartless before they were able to finish their attack.  
"That's it?" Yuki pouted. "This isn't a challenge. This guy's a pushover.."  
"_Yuki_," Roxas said through his teeth. "Don't antagonize him!" She stuck out her tongue and summoned her hammer.  
Angst calmly looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "So be it." Angst lept towards sora sweeping under his arms and smacking him in his gut with his pole. "I was hoping for better."  
Sora clutched his stomach from Angst's blow. Kairi started forward, "Leave him alone!"  
Riku pulled her back. "Kairi, stay behind."

Sora pointed the Kingdom Key at Angst, gripping it with both hands. "What is it you guys want?"  
Angst set his staff down, holding it vertically. "Oh please, I thought you already established that last bit in your encounter with Love."  
"That's not enough. You guys want more than that, why else would you all keep attacking us? We don't know anything about you guys."  
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I let some info slip, you're all going to be finished soon after all," He twisted the staff and the claw on top split open, a surge of electricity jolting across from one point to the other. "The Order's leader, Passiva, has given us all direct orders to keep watch on you. I'm not positive who all is left, but looks like I'm going to be the one to finally take you all down. After that, I can claim what I need to become whole and the rest of you will be sent to Passiva for final determination. All of you with the exception of the nobodies," he pointed his staff toward Namine and Roxas.  
A flash of metal hurtled toward Angst, sending his weapon out of his hands and rolling across the deck. Kairi picked it up, hoping to keep it away from Angst, and stood behind with the group. Riku reached out and grabbed Road to Dawn from midair, landing on the deck. He stood up and pointed the blade at Angst. "Give it up, you have no weapon."  
"Like his weapon did any good in the first place," Silph muttered under her breath. Critter grinned and Boo buzzed in a circle. Silph sat down in the crows nest and yawned. "You guys can finish him easy, don't worry," she called down to the group. "He's just a hot head that mouths off to his superiors. Get him mad and you'll have him."

Angst tensed, eying his weapon. It was only feet away in the hands of a little girl.

It was then that Silver came out of the kitchen."What's all the ruckus? Don't tell me your fighting again Jimbo." He froze when he saw the scene in front of him. "Mr. Scroop." He said the name quietly so that the group couldn't hear. Not more than two seconds a red spider-like man appeared by his side. "Best be time to start helping our friends."  
Mr. Scroop sneered and vanished out of view only to appear again behind Kairi. "That seems to be too heavy for a delicate little girl like you." He grabbed the large spear, yanking it out of Kairi's arms and threw it back to Angst.

_**Thanks so much for your patience! I've been sick over the past week so there wasn't much I could do. Guess I'll stop here for now! ^_^**_

_**Also, in regards to Spira... Grayangelhikari and I decided to take it out after all. As much as we'd love to have it, it just doesn't seem to give off the same "Kingdom Hearts feeling" as other Disney worlds have done. It was inserted as a filler, but with the purpose of introducing a character that will become important later in the series. Hikari mentioned her character and the events involving him could occur in Spira, but then made a few changes. In the next little while, we will re-write his introduction within another world from earlier in the story. As for now, thanks so much for your feedback everyone! I'll try to get the next chapter posted up within the next few days!**_


	23. Loot of a Thousand Worlds

**_::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, Darkblade65 and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!_**

_Chapter Note~ **This chapter took some careful editing... again, so much was going on at once, it was difficult to piece it in an order that would make sense. We also tried to keep at least part of the storyline true to the original movie, but like the game, things had to be altered ever so slightly. Hm... not much else to say about this chapter... Enjoy! ^_^  
**_

"Lads, we move now!" Silver yelled, raising his cutlass into the air. Members of the crew emerged from below deck, cheering and waving their swords high above their heads, beginning to surround the group. Yuki froze, "He's a bad guy?" He seemed just like an ordinary crew member- but then again, they all did. Silver pointed to the cabin, "Bring the captain, we'll finish them all together."  
"No," Angst said. "After you round them up, I'll decide who stays and who goes."  
"Traitor!" Jim shouted, pulling out a small gun-like weapon. He pointed it at Silver.  
Silver laughed, "Jim, Jim, Jim.." he shook his head. "C'mon boy, what are you going to do? Shoot me?"  
Jim scanned around, keeping the weapon locked on Silver. The crew continued to circle the group, but a small opening to the cabin was still visible. He looked back at Silver, with a look of reassurance on his face, "Something like that." He quickly aimed down at Silver's metallic leg and fired a shot into the wires. Steam began to burst out. Silver grunted, trying to Seal up the hole.  
"C'mon!" Jim dashed to the cabin door, motioning for the group to follow. As soon as they all made it inside, he shut and bolted the door. The dog-like man gasped in surprise as they bolted in. Captain Amelia stood up from her desk. "Mr. Hawkins, what is the meaning of this?"  
"Pirates!" Yuki exclaimed. Jim searched the room around for another possible exit.  
"_Excuse me_. Mr. Hawkins?"  
Jim looked at the ground and fired nine rounds into the floor. He kicked at the boards and they fell through, revealing the bottom level underneath. "No time to explain, we need to get into the longboats. Everyone down."  
"What?"  
"Everybody down!"  
There was pounding and shots being fired from behind the door. Sora and Riku helped everybody down then jumped in themselves as the door burst open. They followed Jim to the hull of the ship. Two boats sat on the platform.  
"Only two?" Amu groaned. "There's like ten of us!"  
"Actually," Yuki looked up, thinking. "There's-"  
"Okay then," Riku interrupted. "I'll stay behind. We'll load as many of us as we can. How many people do they hold?"  
"Four," said the Captain. "Maybe five."  
"Some of us will have to stay behind."  
They went quiet. If any of them had to stay, it would mean Angst would get a hold of them, as well as the pirates. The silence was broke by a loud bang, followed by the sound of shouts drawing nearer.  
"Kay," Jim began to push the dog-like man into one of the boats. "Delbert, you and the Captain get in here." He then turned toward the group. "The rest of you, fit as many as you can. I'm going to stay."  
"Do you have the map?" Captain Amelia asked. Jim nodded. "Good. Hold on to it. You'll be in charge of the other boat. You do know how to steer, I imagine?"  
"Yes."  
"I'll stay," Riku volunteered. "Amu, Yuki you're on the boat with the Captain."  
"But I don't wanna go!" Yuki complained as Amu obediently complied.  
"We don't have much time!" Sora said. With that, Yuki jumped inside, pouting. "Kairi, you're in the other."  
The shouts drew nearer and nearer. Jim yelled for the captain to leave. She nodded, taking off, while he prepared the boat. Roxas helped Namine inside, volunteering himself to stay back as well. "One spot left," he said.  
"Riuki, go ahead," Sora told him.  
"Sora," Riku stopped him. "We'll watch him. You need to make sure the others are alright."  
"But I need to stay-"  
"Go!"

Silver entered the room, holding his pistol. He fired a shot at the boat, breaking the string which suspended it above the first level. Kairi screamed as the boat dropped then crashed into the floor. "C'mon!" Jim urged, opening the door below. "We need to take off!" He wanted to shout they'd be coming back for them, just for reassurance, but couldn't spoil it in front of Silver. The door below opened completely, causing the boat to tip, then drop down. Riku suddenly pushed Sora into the boat just as it began to disappear from view. He peeked down to make sure he made it then turned to Riuki and Roxas. As far as he knew, Silph never made it down the crow's neck. With any luck, she'd be able to help them out. Angst appeared in front of the doorway. Roxas summoned his keyblades, getting into his stance. Riku summoned his as well, while searching around the room. He spotted a stairway leading to the higher level of the ship. "This way!"  
Riuki turned to follow but was grabbed by one of the pirates. "Where are you trying to go? This ship is ours now." Silver sneered as the group was once again surrounded. "Look for the map." He ordered the man and they began to search through the groups pockets.  
"It's not here captain!" A crew member shouted.  
"They must have taken it. Bring the prisoners to the deck, we'll deal with them later. And you," he pointed to Angst. "Fire toward the boats but don't harm them. We don't want to lose the map."

Silph had watched the whole thing. She had wanted to help, but her training stopped her. Timing was everything. Timing and planning. For now she would gather intelligence. If the pirates wished to harm her new friends she would act, certainly, but she believed they would be safe for now, or at least long enough to figure out what was going on. She turned to Boo who had brought Critter to her during the ruckus BENeath. "Alright," she said to them, "here is the plan. I want Critter to stay here and remain look out. If there is any trouble you'll let me know, right?" Critter nodded. "As for Boo and I, we will go down below. Boo will cover me. You still remember how to be invisible?" Boo bobbed up and down, disappeared, then reappeared. "Do you think you can keep me invisible too?" Boo thought about it for a moment then nodded. She tried it out and Silph disappeared. As a test Silph reached out her hand to touch the wood. When Boo was invisible she could pass through walls. Silph's hand met solid wood. "Hmm . . . I guess we'll have to be careful not to run into anybody. Opening doors might be a problem too." Silph thought about it for a moment and grinned. "Aren't pirates superstitious?" Critter smiled widely and Boo spun in a quick little circle. "This could be fun," Silph muttered as she and Boo made their way down onto the deck.

Angst lept on top of the bowsprit in a crouching position. He spotted the two longboats, making their escape to the island. The old pirate told him not to shoot them down, for fear of losing the map. But that didn't concern him. He aimed his weapon at the right longboat and fired a sphere of electricity. The Captain spotted a black object out of the corner of her eye. "Everybody down!" she ordered, as she steered the longboat a hard right. The aura struck through the middle of the sail causing the longboat to lose control.  
"Look!" Namine pointed at the longboat falling down from the sky. The captain steered it down for a landing, heading down in a gradual slope.  
"Hold on!" Jim jerked the longboat and followed the other down to the island. As much as they wanted to help them, they could only watch as it crash landed onto the planet's soil. Jim landed the longboat and jumped out, rushing to the other boat. A large cloud of dust surrounded it from impact. Yuki coughed, waving her hands to clear the dust away from her.  
"Everyone okay? Delbert?" Jim asked, helping them out.  
"I think so.." Delbert replied.

Riku, Riuki and Roxas were tied around the mast, hands bound behind their backs. Roxas leaned over toward Riku. "Why can't we fight back now?" he whispered, wriggling his wrists and shaking off the rope. He kept his hands behind his back, as did Riku and Riuki, who both free.  
"He's most likely expecting it," Riku explained. "Wait a little longer." There was no sign of Silph, but he knew she was already one step ahead. As soon as it was clear, they could move on.  
"Silver," Angst spoke with irritation. "Lower the ship to the world below. Send half of your men down to find the ones who escaped. You can have your map, and do what you want with the Captain and the other two. Just bring the rest of them back to me."  
"Aye," Silver replied bitterly, ordering half the crew to follow him into the remaining longboat on deck. He spotted broken trees with pieces of a torn sail caught in the branches and ordered for them to descend.  
Angst approached the mast, eying the captives. "We won't be needing you all, there's only a few surviving members of the Order. Don't need to make the decision quite yet. Scroop, keep an eye on them."  
The spider-like man appeared, climbing down from the nearest shroud. Angst walked to the ship's front, watching as the longboat made it down toward the planet.  
As soon as Angst was out of sight Scroop sneered, looking down at the hostages. "He said that he won't be needing you all." He lingered toward Riuki. "He won't mind me picking off the weak ones." He grabbed Riuki by the shirt and readied his claw to slice. Without thinking Riuki raised his supposed to be tied hands to shield his face.  
"Wha? How did you get untied?"  
Riuki eyed his friends, trying to think. They were all ready to spring up and come to his aid but Riuki shook his head and faced Scroop. "Maybe I'm not as weak as you thought." He kicked Scroop in the gut and scrambled out of the ropes. "I'll distract him, you guys find Silph and take back the ship." He called as he ran below deck, Scroop giving chase.

"No need," Silph replied appearing next to them with Boo. "I'm right here." She held Heartbreaker in her hand, ready to fight. "Stay put for a bit. I'll take care of the spider. Then we'll plan our counterattack." She raced after Riuki and Mr. Scroop and placed herself in between the two. Boo levitated Riuki back to the others and sat back to watch. Scroop sneered at Silph and tried to cut her with his claws. Silph dodged easily and countered with a high kick to the chest. Scroop stumbled back giving Silph the opportunity to bring Heartbreaker down hard on the top of his head. Mr. Scroop's legs buckled out from underneath him as he collapsed. He tripped over a pile of rope on the deck and fell overboard where he drifted off into space. Silph nodded to herself and ran back to the others. Boo buzzed happily at her return and cloaked them all with her invisibility.  
"Nice," Roxas grinned. "We need to get onto that world before Angst catches on."  
"Boo could get us down there," said Silph. "Only one at a time though. She hasn't carried more than that. I don't want to try risking someone's life only to speed things up." She walked over to the side of the ship. "I'm not sure what else we can do. My portals are not an option for the majority of you guys." She thought about it for a bit. "We could always try taking over this ship and going down there. That might be a bit harder though. Which do you guys prefer?"  
"That sounds fun," Roxas replied.  
"But its inefficient," Riku added. "We should do our best to get down unnoticed, we can worry about Angst later."  
"Too late for that," said a voice. Angst stepped down onto the deck, resting his staff on his shoulder. He smacked it down in the palm of his hand, the claw opened while energy surged around it. There was an angst- written expression on his face. "Man you kids are a pain. You submitted so easily i knew something was up. And here you all are." He stepped forward.  
Roxas noticed a line of rope connected to one of the ship's beams, circled Angst's right foot. This could buy a little time if they kept him monologuing.  
Roxas nudged Silph, nodding toward the beam.  
"Passiva's orders were to only kill the nobody and bring the other hosts," Angst smirked. "But there's more of you down there. What she doesn't know can't hurt her."  
Silph saw it and grinned slightly. Without hesitating she jumped into the air and gave it a kick, sending it spinning towards the edge of the rail. Angst was caught by surprise and ended up flying overboard hanging upside down by his leg. Grabbing more rope she flung it at Boo and said, "Tie him up good, and when you're done," she ripped some nearby cloth into strips, "gag and blindfold him. We'll keep him out of trouble for now." Boo buzzed happily and got to work. Silph turned to the boys and couldn't help but laugh. "Alright then," she said. "I guess we'll go with plan B. Someone take the helm while the rest of us clean up this ship. We'll show those pirates."  
"Aye, aye," Roxas laughed. Riku took the helm while the others seized the ropes to secure the sails.  
"Have you ever sailed a ship before?" Roxas asked.  
"A raft," Riku let out a small laugh. "Years ago back on the island."  
The ship shifted, slowly making its way to the ground. Riku searched for a place to disembark. They sailed until the ship hovered above a clearing and let down a long rope which Riuki secured to the mast. He took hold of the rope and slid down. He took a few steps back and motioned for the others to follow. Silph and Riku slid down while Roxas appeared through a portal, looking up at the ship.  
Suddenly there was a sharp noise from inside the forest, followed by a faint thud.  
"C'mon ye useless dogs!"  
Silver.  
The crew stepped aside and allowed Silver to take the lead. He raised his cutlass and sliced another branch to clear his path. "They're close. Now shut up 'er I'll finish ye on the very ground ye're standing."  
Roxas pointed to the woods. "I say we follow them. If they've already got a lead to our friends, we'll follow behind until we get to them. If they attack, we can take them from behind."  
"Alright, but you think it's a good idea to just leave Angst hanging there alone?" Silph nodded towards where Angst was bucking and swing wildly around.  
"Kay, hold on," Roxas disappeared through a portal. He appeared on the deck, looking up at Angst. Upon seeing him, Angst went wild, furiously attempting to wriggle out of the rope.  
"You little-!"  
Roxas pointed Oath Keeper at him and light shone from the tip. The light formed into a rope-like thread around his mouth like a gag, then wrapped around him, securely binding him to the mast. Roxas gave a mock salute and disappeared to rejoin his friends.  
"He should be good for now," Roxas dismissed Oathkeeper. "We'll need to come back though."

Boo hovered in front of them as they followed the sound of the pirates. Critter had been left to guard the ship and had last been seen hanging out in the crows nest. It was mostly quiet around them until there was a rustling from a nearby bush. Silph stopped the group and summoned Heartbreaker. She waited for whatever it was to spring out and as the thing tumbled out of the bushes she charged. "Aaaaah!" the thing cried. "Oh, please! Have mercy!"  
Silph paused inches from it's face. "Are you a pirate?" she asked bringing her blade closer.  
"Oh, no! Heavens no!" the thing said. "I have nothing to do with them. My name is BEN. Bio-Electronic Navigator. And you are?"  
Silph lowered her weapon. "Silph," she said.  
BEN grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously. "It's a pleasure to meet you Silphie."  
Silph shrugged his hand off. "It's just Silph."  
"Huzzah!" BEN cried. "I'm saved!" He sprung onto Silph and gave her a big hug. Silph was shocked beyond belief and tried to pry him off. "I haven't seen another life form in so long. I just want to hug and squeeze you and hold you real tight."  
"A little help guys?" Silph begged when BEN wouldn't come off.  
Riuki took a step back, not wanting BEN to latch onto him while Riku and Roxas pulled the metal man off of Silph. "Sorry, sorry," BEN apologized. "I've been marooned for so long."  
Silph kept her distance in case the metal man decided to hug her again. "I see," she said not amused. "If you'll excuse us we'll just be on our way. We're kind of in a hurry."  
"Oh! Then I'll come with you," said BEN animatedly. "I happen to be looking for something myself. I've lost my mind you see. Have you see it?"  
"What?" asked Silph confused.  
"My mind," said BEN. "My primary memory circuit." He started looking around and came behind Silph to check her pockets. "You wouldn't happen to have it, would you?"  
Silph jumped away. It was hard to believe there was someone who could make her feel more uncomfortable than Sarcasm, but BEN was doing a pretty good job. "No. Just stay here. What we're doing is really important and we don't have time to help you."  
BEN seemed to wilt as he said, "Oh, okay. I understand. I do. I'll just be going then. Alone." He started rolling away on his knees and Silph gritted her teeth. She must be getting soft.  
"You could come with us," she said almost regretting it. Immediately BEN perked up and ran, jumping into Silph's arms.  
"Huzzah!" he cried. "Me and Silphie searching for pirates!"  
Silph dropped BEN onto the ground. "You can come, but you have to be quiet, and stop _touching_ me."  
BEN straightened up a little embarrassed. "Right. Talking and touching. Two big no no's."  
This was going to be a long adventure, Silph thought to herself as they continued. She was surprised they hadn't been discovered by the pirates with all of BEN's racket.  
"So, uh, BEN?" Roxas hesitated, not wanting BEN to turn his attention and give him the same treatment he did Silph. "Have you seen any others around?"  
"You know?" BEN paused in thought. "I can't say that I have. Nope, sorry! No one else has been seen here since waaay back!" BEN stretched his arms wide as if to visibly show how long.  
"Keep it down," Riku whispered. "The pirates aren't too far ahead of us."  
"Being quiet!" BEN pursed his lips, giving a thumbs up.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Kairi shielded her eyes from the sun that shone through the branches. Everywhere around them looked like jungle. And they had no idea as to where they were at. Delbert carried the Captain, who was injured from the crash. They were left now with only one longboat.  
"We need to find a place to rest," Delbert announced.  
"Alright," Jim said. "We'll look for a place to rest for anyone who needs to. If you want, we could go find the rest of your friends then too."  
"Okay," Sora nodded. "You take the lead."  
Jim led the way, looking for any sign of shelter.  
"So Jim?" Sora asked.  
"Hm?"  
"I heard you say something about a map. Is that what they want?"  
Jim sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah.. I'm not sure what those other guys want. But that's what the pirates are after."  
Sora's face shone with interest."Really? Where does it lead to?" Jim sighed, beginning to fill them in.  
"The loot of a thousand worlds." Sora repeated, full of excitement of what Jim just said. "I want to see."  
Jim went to pull the map out of his pocket but stopped.  
"What is it?" Yuki asked.  
Jim's hand changed directions from grabbing the map to pulling out his gun. "We're being followed."  
Sora drew his keyblade, clutching the handle with both hands and keeping it low at his side.  
"Huh?" Yuki glanced around.  
"Very good Jibo," a familiar voice spoke from behind a growth of trees. Silver stepped out into their small clearing followed by the other pirates. Jim tensed, reaching for his pistol. "Now Jimbo, no need for that. I was hoping we could have a more peaceful negotiation.." The pirates chuckled.  
"You liar!" Yuki stomped her foot. "I bet afterwards you'll-"  
Amu put a hand over Yuki's mouth to shut her up. "_Shh_!" She urged.

Silph watched the scene while holding BEN's mouth shout. He apparently couldn't keep it closed on his own. Boo cloaked them all with her invisibility allowing them to get close enough to hear the conversation. "We should keep quiet until we have a chance," she whispered to Roxas who was sitting closest to her. "Otherwise someone could get hurt."  
"Kay," he nodded. They inched up closer, watching the scene.

"No," Jim gripped the gun. He pointed it at Silver.  
The pirates clicked their guns, aiming them at the group. "Now Jimbo," Silver sighed. "Do ye really think that'd be wise? Yer clearly outnumbered. Take them," he ordered. The pirates advanced, seizing the group. "Now I'll ask ye again," Silver held his gun to to the Captain's head. "Where are ye hidin' the map, boy?"  
"Don't Jim," Amelia said.  
Silver grew impatient. He cocked the gun, pressing it tight against her throat. "Time's up, Jimbo."  
"Fine," Jim reached in his pocket and tossed him the metallic orb.  
Silver's metallic eye seemed to light up at the sight of the map. He caught the orb and began to examine it, pressing and attempting to unlock it. Jim raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. Silver tossed the orb to him, watching closely. Without looking, Jim began to turn the orb, sliding the metallic pieces around. He then jabbed his finger in the center and the map was opened.  
A pulsing green light shot from the orb leading the way to the treasure.

"Take him, we'll follow," Silver began.  
Just then, Jim closed the orb and the light shrank back inside. "We all go, or no deal. It doesn't matter what threats you make, I'm the only one that can open it."  
Silver sighed and put an arm around Jim, examining his pistol. "Listen here kid.. you're not really in the position to negotiate these terms, you see? As long as we have them here," he gestured toward the group. "We have more leverage than you do."  
Jim glanced up.  
"But.. I don't suppose it will matter now, will it? After all, we hold the other half aboard the ship. Take 'em lads! If they try anythin' funny and we'll use the others." He grabbed hold of Jim's shoulder and shoved him to the front, with his pistol in hand. "Lead the way, Jimbo."

Silph couldn't help but smirk. "They have no leverage. Or communication. Two flaws in their plan. We should let Sora and the others know we're here without revealing ourselves. That'll give us the upper hand if things get messy." She turned to Riku and asked, "Do you mind if I borrow your ear?" She held up a rock she had withdrawn from her pocket.  
Riku couldn't help but stare at her in confusion. Ideologically, it sounded bizarre. And she was holding a rock.  
"Um, why?" He asked, feeling hesitant. How do you respond to that?  
"Critter has an odd ability that allows the rocks he hands someone to record their voice," said Silph. She frowned a bit. "Don't ask me how that works. There are still a few things about him I'm not sure how I made yet." She shrugged then waved the rock she held slightly. "I have quite a few, since he is so fond of handing them to me. The only problem is, they record the sound of your voice exactly, which includes how loud you speak. I need to whisper in your ear so I will know Sora can hear what I'm saying without being too loud. I don't want the pirates to find out we're here only because I spoke too loudly. Once the voice is recorded I can have Boo send it over."  
"Alright.." It sounded crazy, but if it was the only way to get the message to Sora without giving themselves away to the pirates, she might as well. This at least explained the flying-talking rocks they encountered in the past. "Tell him not to get cocky. He tends to do that."  
"Okay," Silph nodded in agreement. She leaned towards Riku and whispered, "Sora, this is Silph. The rest of us are fine and have taken over the ship. We're right behind you, so don't worry, and please don't give us away yet. We'll be your backup. Let the others know quietly and don't get cocky. This could still be tricky." Silph ended the message and handed the rock to Boo. She levitated it beside her and disappeared. She reappeared seconds later next to Sora and rubbed against his cheek, purring.

"Huh?" Sora squinted at the rock dangling in front of him. It dropped into his hand. That was bizarre. He examined the rock, a soft noise seemed to be coming from it. He brought it up to his ear and listened.  
_"Sora, this is Silph. The rest of us are fine and have taken over the ship. We're right behind you, so don't worry, and please don't give us away yet. We'll be your backup. Let the others know quietly and don't get cocky. This could still be tricky."_  
Sora gave a slight nod to acknowledge he got the message, in case they were watching. It was beyond him how Silph managed to give a message via rock, but he was content on knowing they had someone to back them up if things went awry.  
A pirate jabbed him in the back with the tip of his gun, ordering him to keep moving. They followed behind Jim, who was being guided by the line of green light, projected from the map.  
"Are we almost there?" Yuki complained.  
"I think so," Amu pointed ahead. Fifty feet in front of them, the light stopped at the edge of a cliff.  
Silver grew impatient. "C'mon!" he urged, shoving Jim forward.  
Jim glared, moving forward to the edge of the cliff. He closed the orb, the light fading back inside the orb. "This is it."  
"What?"  
"The light ends here. This is it."  
"This is it?" Silver roared. "Do you see any treasure? You lying-" he struck Jim across the face with the butt of his gun. Jim fell to the ground clutching his jaw. The orb rolled a few feet away from him. He got on his knees and reached for the orb, then paused. The ground was covered in a dusty pattern of indents. He examined them then blew the dust away. Sora took a step closer to see what he was looking at. In the center of the markings was a concaved indent, with similar patterns which matched the sphere's. He reached out to grab the sphere and placed it inside the hold.  
Nothing happened. Jim turned to Sora and shrugged, reaching out to withdraw the orb.  
Suddenly the orb began to glow. A giant beam of green light shot up into the air and rained down along the lines below, forming what looked like a triangular gate.  
Sora stood in front and peered in. Inside the gate was snowing, like in another world. A few feet in front of the gate was a holographic sphere with small dots hovering inside. "What is it?"  
Jim approached the orb. "It looks like a map.." He pressed one of the dots and the gate closed. It opened to reveal a sandy desert.  
"Outta my way," Silver shoved Jim aside. Silver began pressing different spots on the map. The gate repeatedly opened and closed, revealing new locations. "Aah!" Silver roared out of frustration. "Where is it?"  
Jim stood in front of Silver, studying the different points on the map. "It should be... here." He pressed the center. The gate flashed and reopened.  
Yuki peered inside the gate. "Whoa!"  
Inside was a vast room covered with mountains of gold. The gold was on top of a large, sphere-like surface, being held up by pulsing light beams.  
"There it is lads!" Silver boomed, rushing inside. The pirates cheered and let go of their captives, scrambling to grab as much gold as they could take hold of.  
"There not getting away with this." Sora glared as Jim untied him. He summoned his keyblade and was about to charge When Jim stepped in front of him, shaking his head. "No, there's too many of them."  
"But Silph and the others are right behind us."  
"Then let's wait for them to give us the o.k."  
Sora dismissed the Kingdom Key. "Alright. Let's at least get the others untied."  
Yuki sighed, rubbing her wrists where the ropes used to be. She kicked a pile of gold. "Okay, so it's neat there's all this treasure.. but the PIRATES get it? That's so lame! We lost!"

Roxas stepped out of the clearing to follow them through then stepped back inside. Angst stood only a few feet away with a tumultuous expression, eying the gate ahead. He had managed to get himself out, but that didn't completely surprise him. But if he was out, then where was Critter?  
Angst drew nearer to the gate, leering inside. He put his arm through the gate, as if making certain it was really there. He then stepped inside and out of view. That wasn't good.  
Roxas turned. "I think it's time we stepped in."


	24. Escape

**_::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, Darkblade65 and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!_**

_Chapter Note~ **This chapter pretty much wraps up the events on Treasure Planet.. Later, Silph faces off with Angst. In planning, we figured this would be a lengthy battle, Angst being one of the stronger members of the Order. But Bella brought up a good point. Being too much of a hot head, once he's steamed up he becomes far too cocky.**_

Silph nodded. "Critter will bring the ship so we can have an escape plan." Silph walked out of the bushes and towards their group. BEN was holding his head and moaning about the treasure and something about the centroid of the mechanism. She ignored him and walked over to Sora. "I think I might have overestimated the brain capacity of those pirates. I was thinking we'd have to make a complicated escape, but they just leave you at the sight of treasure. I guess I shouldn't complain that it makes my life easier, but I feel a bit disappointed."  
"Then let's go while they're still fixated," Sora told her. He kept a close eye on Angst, who was still scanning the treasure room.  
BEN rushed up to Jim, energetically shaking his hand. "Hello! You must be with them!" He waved at the group. "I'm BEN! We're here to help you escape from the pirates!" he announced.  
"BEN!" Roxas moaned, putting his hand to his face. Angst's attention turned to them, clutching his fist. He slashed his right arm in front of him, a flash of white light appearing in front of him and forming into his halberd. He grabbed hold of it, resting it on his shoulder. The metal claw on the tip of the halberd split apart, a jolt of electricity jumping back and forth between the two shards.  
"I don't care what she says now! You're all dead!" Angst yelled then looked at the pirates. "Aren't you guys forgetting something! Kill them then you can take the treasure!"  
The pirates looked torn between duty and treasure. Silver took a step forward. "There's no motive for us now that we have what we came for. So frankly, you can deal with them yourself."  
Angst tightened his grip on the halberd. But he had no reason to argue over their defiance. There was no consequence for doing away with them all.  
Silph stepped forward. "I'll take care of him," she said to Sora. "You guys just be careful. Critter will be here soon with the ship." An explosion inside the treasure room snapped her attention away from Angst. The light beams had started pulsing violently and began ripping through the treasure trove. More explosions blasted through the air and she could feel the ground BENeath her buck and groan. "What is going on?"  
BEN was going wild. A chunk of metal blasted out of the portal and slammed into his head. He froze for an instant and then looked around anew. "I remember!" he cried happily. Silph couldn't believe it. His primary memory circuit had clunked into place at the back of his head. She would wonder about the odds of that later and concentrated on what he was saying. "Right up the the moment when Captain Flint pulled out my memory circuit so I couldn't tell anyone about his secret booby trap!" He let out a joyful shout and then flinched. "Speaking of which . . ." Another explosion ripped through the air.  
Silph remained calm and turned back to Angst. She eyed him and then laughed a bit. "You looked so much better hanging upside down," she commented. "I'm a bit curious. How did you escape? I'm surprised you calmed down enough to use whatever brain capacity you have, if you have any." She paused to watch Angst's response.  
Angst's fist began to shake as the anger continued to boil inside of him. Things were falling apart, which meant his mission was a failure. If he went back to Passiva she would eliminate him in an instant, there wasn't any use resisting. He watched the disorder from both sides. This was his final chance to retrieve whoever he could and take them back, with hope of no penalty upon returning to the World That Never Was.  
He slammed the halberd in is left hand, clutching it tight. "It was simple. Since the binding's origins were light alone, I was able to manipulate it. Light is our element, which is why it is so effortless to control," he said casually. "Which is how we retrieved you in the first place. Speaking of which.. where's Sarcasm? You seem to be his new pet." He began to laugh, then grew serious- the usual, angst-written expression he usually carried. "I've been assigned to carry out Her orders and the mission's almost complete. All that's left to deal with is retrieving the hosts, after which we'll be finished." He lunged forward, delivering a vertical slash with his halberd, electricity spurting wildly from the tips of the claw.  
Silph had flinched at hearing Sarcasm's name, but as soon as Angst had charged she was focused again. She easily slid out of his attack, slipping through a portal and stepping out behind him within the blink of an eye. Heartbreaker appeared in her hand and she used it to slash Angst in the ribs. She didn't stop after it hit, but continued with a melee of attacks, not once leaving him room to react. He'd try to attack in return, but she'd slip through portal after portal, never in the same place, constantly hammering him without mercy. To any onlooker it looked like Angst was being beaten by some invisible force. Only the blur of red, black, and white betrayed that she was even there. When Angst looked like he was about to fall over Silph stopped her attack and backed up a step. "Do you give up?" she asked coldly. She wasn't happy with being compared to a pet and she had let herself show more of her fighting skill than was perhaps necessary. Angst bugged her. Not nearly as much as Sarcasm or Jest, but he was up there.

The floor trembled violently and split apart. The gold coins spilled through the holes, creating a loud echo of clinging metal. The pipes containing the beams began to shake and fall down the void along with the treasure.  
"Riku!" Sora cupped his hands, yelling at him from across the room. "Help get everyone together, we're making it out before it all goes down!" Sora gathered Amu, Yuki and Riuki while Jim took care of the BEN the Captain and Delbert- leaving Riku with just about everyone else. Namine and Kairi stood on the other side of the crevasse, scoping for a way to reconnect with the group. The ground shook BENeath their feet and began to tilt. A rush of coins came loose from underneath Kairi's feet causing her to fall back into the opening. She grabbed onto the edge, attempting to pull herself up against the current of spilling metal. Namine rushed forward to assist her. "No!" Kairi screamed. "Stay back, you'll get pulled in!"  
"Hold on!" She continued to approach, despite Kairi's constant protests. She eased up to the edge, holding on to a gold scepter that was still wedged in the ground. Namine reached down to her with her left hand. "Grab on!"  
Kairi began to reach for her hand while grasping the edge with her free one. Namine inched forward as much as they could but it wasn't enough, they were still inches apart. The tremors continued to shake the floor vehemently, causing it to tilt even more. Kairi grasped the edge with all her might. She lost her grasp as the flood of gold spilled through her fingers. She screamed as she began to slip down into the opening. Kairi summoned her keyblade, trying to stab it into the side of the walls but the blade slipped loose. Namine let go of the scepter, allowing herself to slip inside the crevasse. She caught hold of Kairi's arm and closed her eyes, concentrating. A black portal consumed them, dropping them on a pile of treasure on the other side of the room. Kairi's eyes were wide. She sighed with relief, realizing they were safely on the other side. "Thanks," she hugged Namine, laughing a little.  
Namine smiled. "Sure. Let's find the others."  
Riku rushed toward the base of the pile. "You two okay?."  
"Yeah," Kairi replied. She and Namine slid down the pile of gold and stood up.  
"Kay, let's go then. We need to make it to the exit before the whole place is destroyed."

Angst barred his teeth, standing up straight. He had to hand it to her, he usually took her capability for granted, she knew what she was doing. Angst looked down and began to laugh. It seemed like he finally snapped. His eyes locked onto Silph. He spun his halberd, causing a force to bring Silph back against the wall behind. As soon as she hit the wall he slammed the claw into the wall, wedging the tips on either side of her neck. The tips began to glow, electricity surged through the claw and spread until it consumed her. Angst grinned, allowing the shocks to continue.  
The electricity ceased, a few remaining sparks arcing around her. "Well, seeing that I can't go back empty handed, I might as well take you back to the boss and leave you to her. Or Sarcasm," he added, grinning. "Even though she specified she ordered the capture of this particular group, I can let it slide with a few 'unexpected casualties'. Can't take them all back anyway."  
Angst released her from the claw and aimed the weapon at Sora, Riuki and Yuki. The claw glowed, a bright sphere of light grew at the tip. The claw snapped shut, shooting the electric mass.  
Sora spotted it out of peripheral view and looked up.  
Roxas threw Oblivion, meeting the attack halfway. An explosion of white light occurred on impact, disappearing before reaching Riuki, Yuki and Sora. Oblivion reappeared in his hand.  
Angst clenched his teeth, turning back to Silph.  
Silph wasn't there. Angst looked around to find her, blinked and found himself flying through the air.  
Silph had landed a kick square in his jaw. She'd always wondered what his dorky claw thing did. Now that she knew she was irritated. It had hurt and there was still a bit of numbness around her neck. Worse, her pride had taken a blow. This didn't bode well with her at all. Her anger flared and her eyes blazed a terrifying red.  
She hadn't felt this enraged since she had first got here. All other emotions fell somewhere deep into her subconscious leaving only the blinding fire that was her fury behind. Without thinking, without feeling, she rushed Angst and stabbed with her blade. He slammed to the ground with a moan and began to fade away in billowy black wisps.  
Silph stood panting, frozen in the same jab that had taken Angst down. It was silent for a moment and then she fell to her knees, still breathing heavily. Her free hand was shaking, but her right clutched Heartbreaker tightly.

The floor gave way as the room began to cave in. Sora and Riku ushered the group to the exit. Roxas scanned the room for any stragglers. He was puzzled. In the midst of all the commotion, there were still a few pirates who were still fixated on the treasure. Silver was one of the only ones who managed to make it out, along with spoils of his own. He started to turn back when he spotted Silph, still frozen in the spot where she battled Angst. He rushed up to her then stopped himself, catching her expression.  
He carefully approached her. "Um, Silph?" He dismissed his weapons. "You alright?" That was a stupid question. "Everyone else is out, let's go."  
Silph didn't answer for a while. Cautiously she glanced up at Roxas. He was looking at her with a worried expression. She looked back at the ground and tried to calm down. Slowly, her fists stopped shaking and Heartbreaker disappeared. "I'll be okay," said Silph as she stood up. "Eventually. Let's go."  
"Kay." They bolted to the exit as the remaining parts of the floor began to slip away underneath their feet.

"Phew!" Yuki let out a sigh of relief. "That was close!"  
"Yeah," Sora knelt down, catching his breath.  
Jim stood in front of Silver, who's hands were in the process of being bound by Delbert and the Captain. "You doing alright now?" he asked her."  
"Satisfactory," she replied. "Only a scratch- harmless really."  
A large ship sailed out from over the forest, descending toward the group.  
"Hey, isn't that the pirate ship?" Sora shielded his eyes from the sun to get a better look.  
"What's it doing here then?" Yuki cocked her head. Critter waved down at the group from the helm with a wide grin. Boo raced up to meet him and snuggled against his cheek before flying around the deck, ropes flying off the sides for the group to climb up as she passed.  
"Alright!" Sora laughed. "Let's go."  
They boarded the ship, locking Silver below deck.  
Jim thanked them, and apologized for the turn of events.  
"It's no big deal, really," Sora assured him.  
"This kind of thing happens to him a lot," Kairi explained, laughing.  
"Besides, we got to fight more pirates! I want to tell Jack.. Never mind.. he wouldn't care. He lives in that kind of world."  
"However, with Jim and your assistance," the Captain said. "You all helped us reclaim our ship, and continue our search for the treasure."  
"But the place is now in ruins," Yuki frowned. "All the treasure is gone."  
"Not quite," Jim pulled a hand full of gold trinkets from his pickets, grinning.

"Ooh, that's neat! Any to spare?" Jest laughed.  
"What're you doing here?" Sora summoned his weapon.  
"That's exactly the reason, actually!" She snapped, a portal of silvery mist appearing behind her. "Come with me and I'll give you all the answers." She scanned the small crowd. "Silph?" She let out a high pitch laugh. "Well this is too good!"  
"Why should we trust you?" Yuki yelled.  
"Why don't you chance it? What've you to loose?" Jest laughed, disappearing inside the mist.

Sora turned to Jim with an apologetic expression. "Sorry, but we've got to go. Everything taken care of here?"  
"Looks like. So what was all that?"  
"It's difficult to explain.."  
"Fair enough," Jim shrugged. "Maybe we'll see ya around again sometime?"  
"Yeah," Sora nodded.  
"Come back soon!" BEN jumped on Silph, giving her a big hug. "Oops, my bad! No touching!" BEN jumped off. "Good-bye!"  
Sora waved, following the last few people into the mist.

**_I wanted the conclusion of this world to be similar to that of the movie's. As the RLS Legacy approaches the Space Port, Jim helps Silver escape, showing they still have some bond. As Silver leaves, he throws a few coins to Jim, telling him to use it to rebuild the Inn the pirates destroyed. Since that scene as well as many others were thrown out, it became unnecessary. However, the ending still feels somewhat opened with no true conclusion. True, KH leaves a few worlds open once the events there draw to a close, but they find a way to conclude it whether by revisiting that world, or showing what happened through the short clips throughout the credits. If this was a part of the series, I'd add that scene into the credits haha ^_^_**


	25. Puppeteer

**_::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, Darkblade65 and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!_**

_Chapter Note~ **Jest's fight takes place at Beast's Castle. We figured the ballroom and the courtyard would be a few nice locations to host the fights that take place here. As a group, we decided on a few songs we thought would best fit each character like a theme. Jest's theme came from the YouTube video "**Kikuri AMV**". I had never seen the anime, but the music from the video fit. It suited her with its twisted, carnival-like music box. It was beautiful but eerie at the same time. Often throughout our writing, we'd listen to music that suited the mood of the story at that time. This was one of the few we had for Jest. One of Passiva's themes was the song from **Silent Hill** titled '**There Was a Hole Here**'. It carried a beautiful tune and seemed to fit the mood of her character and back story. After listening to a few songs, Belladonadarkraven and I wrote our own songs for a few of the characters.  
Yet another instance when the group becomes separated. **_

_**You brought up a great point. Kairi and Namine are just kind of **there **so what's the purpose of having them here? The reason isn't fully explained by the end of this story, but in the second one. I can't say much without giving it away, but those answers and more are still to come :]** _

Everything was pitch black. Sora stood up on what felt like marble floor. Every moment or so, lightning would flash from outside, temporarily flooding the room with light from the window. Critter stood up, cocking his head.  
Lightning flashed again. Roxas spotted Jest out of the corner of his eye. He wheeled around to face her but she was gone.  
"Welcome!" Jest's voice seemed to be coming from all directions. "I'm glad you've all decided to come play!"  
"We're not here for any games, we want answers!" Sora shouted.  
"How rude. You have to have some fun. Very well, let's begin," Jest clapped her hands together. The candles along the chandelier were lit, followed by the torches around the ballroom. Jest stood in the center of the floor, holding her moogle doll. Sora glanced around the room, realizing it was only the three of them.  
"What'd you do with them?" Sora clutched the Kingdom Key.  
"Calm down, I'm keeping them entertained too. They're probably playing with some of the toys I left for them outside, that's all. They should be fine so long as they play by the rules," She smiled at Roxas.  
Sora clenched his fist, clutching the Kingdom Key tighter in his grip. Roxas summoned Oath Keeper and Oblivion. He knew what was going through his head and he wanted the same thing. He glanced at the tall doors. A thin shield covered the wood, preventing their passage until they went through her.  
Jest studied their expressions. She looked down at her doll then back to them, grinning wildly. "Let's begin."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Yuki wheeled around as light began to flood the West Hall, illuminated by torches and candles placed around the walls. A long scarlet rug ran through the center of the marble hallway, with armored statues positioned on either side. She walked along the carpet, examining the statues, continuing down the hallway. The hall opened up into a spacious room with one large staircase. Positioned around the room were large blocks, jacks and other toys.  
"Stay away from those," Riku told her.  
"You can't be serious!" Yuki laughed.  
Riku ignored her, scanning the room. The castle had an air of familiarity. He could vaguely recall the events that happened here, but who it was with and what happened remained a blur. The castle was dark and sullen then, the way the Beast had left it after his transformation. But the castle was slightly different. It was brighter with, at the same time, somewhat of an eerie feel.  
"Well now what?" Yuki groaned, walking up to Riuki.  
He never got a chance to reply. The blocks of varying sizes slid toward them like they had a mind of their own.  
The group summoned their weapons and began to fight off the various toys. "This is ridiculous!" Yuki smashed a block with her hammer. "Where's Sora and Roxas?"  
"I don't know but Kairi and Namine aren't here either," Riku dodged a fast spinning top.  
"When will it stop?" Yuki complained, smashing a top with her hammer. The toys ceased their attacks, falling in place. "Phew! Thought it wasn't going to end."  
"What does that mean?" Amu asked.  
"I don't know," Riku replied. "Let's go find the rest of our group before those things attack again."

"Where are the others?" Namine wondered aloud.  
"I don't know.." Kairi responded. "They were just her a moment ago." They walked down the hall, calling their names.  
"They're not around here," Namine told her.  
"Guess so," She stopped in front of a tall dark door. It was scratched with parts of the knob torn. Kairi turned to Namine, hesitantly. Namine nodded, turning the knob and cracking the door open. She peeked inside. The room was dark. The only source of light came from the moonlight, spilling through the window and tears in the curtains. Everything was torn; the walls, furniture and even the portrait on the wall. "What happened here?" Namine asked.  
"I don't know," Kairi shook her head. "Maybe we should leave."  
"Okay."  
Kairi turned to leave but stopped when she heard a melancholic growl. A dark figure loomed in the corner. Kairi took a step forward, carefully approaching it. Then she froze. The figure began to stand up until it was partially exposed to the moonlight. Lightning flashed outside, temporarily illuminating the room. Namine grabbed Kairi's arm and stepped back. Standing before the two girls was a monstrous beast.

"I've seen you before," Kairi stepped forward, recognizing the figure. "About a year ago, in Hollow Bastion. It was when we were leaving."  
Beast eased. "Why've you come here?" He asked in his low growl.  
"We came with some friends," Namine explained. "Sora's here. A girl named Jest brought us."  
"What happened?" Kairi asked.  
"I was warned someone infiltrated the castle and checked into it after hiding Belle with the others."  
"There are others here as well?"  
"Yes. She eventually found them and has been using Belle against me so that I would comply- and chained me here like a pet," he growled.  
"That's awful," Namine said. "Let's get you out of here then." She picked up the chain.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Jest laughed as she dodged each of their attacks. She slightly turned to the right to avoid Sora's blade, before doing a back handspring to avoid Roxas' horizontals. Sora ran forward, jumping into the air he slashed down with his blade. Jest swiftly spun to her right, giggling as if she were dancing. Sora was frustrated. She was only playing with them, and all she had managed to do was begin to wear them out.  
Sora stood up. "Cut the games!"  
"Hm, you know? You're right," Jest jumped up into the air, staying put as through she was walking on a platform. She sat down, crossing her legs. She placed her moogle doll in front of her, giving it a hug. "That's more comfortable, I'll think I'll have you fight the nobody in my place. That way I can rest while the orders given to me are still carried out!"  
"Why would we?" Roxas stopped.  
She shrugged, rolling her eyes. "Because I told you to." She turned the doll around. An eerie green aura surrounded the doll.  
Roxas watched, trying to anticipate Jest's next move. Sora suddenly collapsed, his keyblades disappeared. His eyes shut tight and his fists were clenched. Roxas dismissed his weapons, rushing toward him. He looked as though he were struggling, but he couldn't tell what. Jest watched pleasantly as though nothing was happening. Sora stopped.  
"What'd you do?" Roxas asked, apprehensive.  
"Just watch."

Jest's grin widened as she leaned forward closer to get a better look. Sora got to his knees, standing himself up, slightly shaking. She clapped her hands, "There we go!" She said excitedly. From what Roxas could gather from her reaction, it wasn't a good thing.  
"Sora?" Roxas took a step forward. Sora's eyes began to open, looking up at Roxas. It seemed as though he was struggling to fight against something. Hesitantly, he drew his weapon.  
"Don't hold back," Jest giggled, leaning back. "Saves me from the difficult work." Roxas quickly summoned Oblivion, his blade meeting Sora's just in time. Sora retaliated but met Roxas's once more, their blades crossed. It was clear he wasn't acting on his own will, so there was no reason to fight hard.  
"Sora, snap out of it!" He yelled. Sora looked at him, slightly out of it. Sora tightened his grip and twisted the blade. A surge of electricity erupted from the tip and traveled across Oblivion. Roxas jumped back, small sparks still springing from his blade. Two flames shot out from the Kingdom Key. Roxas blocked one while dodging the other, the second flame crashed into a pillar, sending it crumbling. Sora ran toward Roxas, repeatedly hitting his blade. Another flame shot from the tip of the keyblade. Roxas ducked, the fire crashing into the column behind. Roxas shoved Sora from the falling pillar.  
"This is no fun, you're not even trying!" Jest whined. "Being the nobody, you shouldn't care what happened to him, right? There's no emotion to restrain. What've you to lose anyway? With him out of the way, you would no longer be his shadow but your own being. Isn't that what nobodies want?"  
"They told me I never had the right to exist, that being here was a mistake. But if I still cared about it, I wouldn't have left the Organization."  
"Haha!" Jest giggled, appearing up on the balcony. "That's silly, you never could care in the first place," she rolled her eyes. She watched the fight with great interest. It was all a show to her. "You see, playing puppeteer is one of my fortes. If someone doesn't act upon a matter the way they should, I can make them." She smiled, setting the doll on the rail. Roxas glanced at the doll, then back in time to block Sora's blow. The doll could be what she was using, seeing it was something she always kept close to her person.  
Critter's ears stood up when he noticed the doll. He smiled wide and began to make his way toward it.

Roxas summoned Oath Keeper, pointing both blades at Sora. A shield formed around him, preventing him to move outside it's border. He'd keep him contained until after he dealt with Jest. He disappeared through a black portal, reappearing on the balcony.  
"Hm?" Jest turned around. Roxas threw Oblivion at the doll to knock it off the rail, knowing Critter would be able to get a hold of it down below. Jest lashed out to grab the doll. She fell back from the balcony to avoid Oblivion, landing gently on the ground below. Roxas appeared below, Oblivion returning to his hand.

Jest laughed, shaking her head. "Clever, you got it figured out!" She clapped. "I'll just have to switch things around now, since you put my toy in such a bind already." The aura surrounded the doll again.  
Sora shook his head, coming back into focus. He then pounded against the shield. "Hey! Lemme out! Roxas!"  
"Ngh," Roxas shut his eyes tight, clenching his teeth. Sora continued to pound against the shield. The shield suddenly shattered, causing him to stumble forward.  
"You might want to grab that," Jest pointed to Sora's side, his keyblade appeared in front of him. Sora slowly approached it, picking it up. "Roxas, you okay?" he rushed over to him. Sora shook him. Roxas's blades crossed then pulling apart. Sora flew back against the pillar. He reached out his hand, redrawing the Kingdom Key.  
"There is one thing I don't mind so much about nobodies," Jest said pleasantly. Roxas appeared in front of Sora, pinning him to the pillar with Oathkeeper, pointing Oblivion at his neck. "Manipulation is child's play. No heart means no protection, leading to no resistance. Feelings don't interfere, making it easier to submit." She sighed. "That was almost too easy," she pouted. "No fun at all.. and I thought I was going to get more of a show, what would the others think? Oh well, I suppose what's done is done. There are others I can play with after."

Critter watched the doll fall. He was concerned to think his new friend would be hurt so he ran as fast as he could to save him. The doll, however, was too far and landed even before he made it halfway across the room. He would see if he was alright then. He ran even faster, dodging the fight. Critter, sadly, had never been good at running and tripped over a fallen piece of stone. He opened his mouth wide as if to cry out in surprise, his friend only a couple feet in front of him and slammed into him. Something went into his mouth and without thinking, he swallowed it. Dazed and confused Critter picked himself off the ground and tried to see where his friend had got to. When he couldn't find him, he blinked. Oops. Critter sat on the floor and frowned deeply. He was sad now. He'd just eaten his newest friend. Silph would be mad at him and never love him again. If he had the ability to cry he would.  
Jest stared at Critter in disbelief. "You ATE it?" She screamed. She wheeled around, facing the boys. Roxas shook his head and, coming back to his senses, released Sora. "Rrgh," Jest grabbed Critter. "You little-"  
"Hey!" Sora pointed his keyblade at Jest, inches from her neck. "We're not finished."  
She smirked. "Huh," she grinned, her expression becoming wild. "Okay then.. i suppose it's time to break you." She tossed Critter aside. Roxas caught Critter, setting him down on the marble floor. "Thanks," he told him. "You've helped a lot." He rushed over to join Sora.  
Critter scratched his head, confused. With a shrug he sat down to watch. He'd mourned appropriately for his lost friend. It was time to get back to his other ones.  
"But first, I'll let you take a look around," Jest smiled, disappearing in a wisp on silver mist.  
Sora rushed forward but the smoke dispersed. Roxas put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Look," he nodded toward the door. The barrier had vanished, granting them passage into the main hall. Sora opened the door, bursting into the next room. "Jest!" He called, swiping his keyblade through the air.  
"She's not here," Roxas said. "Calm down."  
"Yes calm down, you're producing far too much noise."  
"Show yourself!" Sora yelled.  
"Very well." The front doors burst opened, a strong draft filled the room. "Follow me," she reappeared in the doorway, stepping out into the courtyard. She stopped in the center of the stone path.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"That took way too long!" Yuki finished off the last of the killer toys.  
"Let's find Sora!" Amu made her way up the stairs not even waiting for the others to follow.  
Silph nodded. "That's probably a good idea. They might be in trouble too." She started up the stairs after Amu when she heard a voice behind her.  
"But won't you stay? It's been a while since I've seen your bright smiling face," said Sarcasm. Silph whirled. He was leaning against the wall with his usual smirk. Seeing her expression he sighed. "Not that I've seen your bright smiling face." He laughed as he dodged Heartbreaker. It missed him only slightly. A single lock of his auburn hair fell to the ground. Sarcasm looked at it and began to laugh harder.  
"What?" Silph demanded sharply. It irritated her to no end how Sarcasm shrugged off everything. Never took anything seriously.  
Sarcasm wiped tears from his eyes. "That is probably the first time anyone has done so much damage to me. Only you could do that, Silphie." He continued to laugh for a bit then became serious. "I think you might know why I'm here."  
"I don't know," said Silph, "and I don't care. Leave, or I will kill you personally."  
Sarcasm shrugged. "I guess you do know. Maybe. Won't you come with me Silphie? I've got something for you."  
Silph turned on him. "No. I have my own agenda, and that doesn't include you. Now go away." She started following after the group, not caring if they stared at her.  
"Pity," Sarcasm whispered. In a flash he was in front of Silph, inches from her face. "But I think it will." He leaned forward and his lips met hers. Before she could kill him he slid out of the way, laughing.  
"I'll kill you!" Silph raged turning to follow after him.  
"That's my girl," Sarcasm replied. He slid backwards down the hall watching Silph's charge. He blinked and she was closer. "Uh oh,"  
he mused. "You're serious." He picked up his own pace and slid backwards through the west halls, then the main hall, and out into the open air of the courtyard. He all but ignored Sora's little group and Jest, his eyes fixed only on Silph. He slid to a stop and Silph almost flew past him. He caught her around the waist and said, "Slow down. There's no hurry." Silph replied by trying to hack his head off. He laughed as he dodged. He half turned to Jest and said, "Sorry Jest, but I think I'll be using this place. You can watch if you want, but don't interfere." All the while he continued to dodge Silph's blows.  
Jest pouted. "Do you really have to come _here_?" she asked, irritated. Sora rushed forward, raising his keyblade to strike. "Stop," she said, raising her hand. He froze mid step. Jest giggled, turning to the gate. The double doors flew open, the left door hanging by the top hinges. She appeared on the far side of the bridge. "Come," she beckoned. Sora unfroze, stumbling forward.  
"C'mon!" Roxas yelled, rushing past him. He stood up. Now Silph was here with, he assumed, another member of the Order. "You gonna be okay?" he asked. She didn't have to answer. Something in her expression told him to leave, this was her fight. She was right. He nodded, starting toward the bridge, where he had his final encounter with Xaldin the year before. He met Roxas, who was already engaged in the fight with Jest.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Can you break it?" Kairi asked.  
"They won't break," Beast growled.  
"There's a lock here," Namine pointed. Kairi summoned Destiny's Embrace, pointing it at the lock. "Here," a light shone from the tip directly into the lock. The lock clicked and fell open. The chain shattered into a shine of white lights.

"Shouldn't we go back and help?" Riuki asked, reffering to Silph.  
"This is her fight. We'd only be getting in her way." Riku walked quickly down the west hall.  
"And besides we need to find Sora."  
"What about Kairi and Namine?"  
Amu glared when she heard Kairi's name. "Who cares about them."  
"That's a little harsh." Yuki opened the door at the end of the hall.  
"Kairi?" Yuki cocked her head, peering into the room. (Amu screamed outside at the sound of her name, once again.)  
"Yuki?" Kairi dropped the chain, walking to the door. "Where's everyone else?"  
"Off fighting bad guys," Yuki groaned. "And Riku said we can't help because it's not our fight. Who's with you?"  
"I'm here with Namine and Beast."  
"Beast?" Riku asked. So it was his castle.  
"Yeah," Kairi nodded. "He was chained here when we came in." The Beast stepped forward, stopping in the doorway. "I'm going to find Belle. You should find find your friends."  
"Okay."

_**Stopping there for now.. the next chapter is Sarcasm vs Silph and Jest vs Sora and Roxas! I'll try to have it up by tomorrow :] Thanks!**_


	26. Ends Meet

**_::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, Darkblade65 and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!_**

_Chapter Note~ **Sarcasm and Silph face off while Jest fights Sora and Roxas. Hopefully there isn't too much back and forth going on, but this is one of the longer chapters. It's interesting to see the different fighting styles between characters. Sarcasm glides back and forth but with speed, almost like he's teasing. Jest is fast and nimble but graceful. (Picture a gymnast or dancer.) We thought her 'moogle' doll and it's ability suited her character. In her past life she was playful but manipulative. She seemed to me like a puppeteer. As Hikari and I planned her fight we figured she'd have at least one back up weapon. Hikari then suggested the ribbon she wore around her pigtails in her hair. She explained that the ribbon would have the same flow and movement any other would have, but at command, the end could stiffen up, sharp enough to be compared to a blade's edge. **_

"Would you calm down a bit?" Sarcasm asked dodging again and again as Silph swung at him almost madly. "It was only a little kiss. No harm done."  
"Wrong!"  
Sarcasm shook his head. "Fine," he said. "I'll talk, you listen. Just don't kill me quite yet, alright?" Silph continued to swing, but it seemed as if she fell back just a bit. It was obvious neither of them were really trying just yet. "Where to begin?" Sarcasm asked as he slid around, occasionally swerving out of the way of a death blow. "This would be a bit easier if you would stop that," he added, but Silph seemed to not want to listen to that comment. "You know I'm Sarcasm, right?" he asked.  
Silph jumped back and stood facing him, Heartbreaker raised. "Great, you know your own name," she said sarcastically. She even rolled her eyes as she said it.  
"Well of course I know my name," Sarcasm said with a grin, "but that's only part of it. You've got the other part going right there. That emotion. That feeling. That's me too."  
"You're controlling me?" said Silph, a little calmer. "I don't think so."  
"And you're right," said Sarcasm. "I'm not. I don't want to, but if you keep up the sarcasm I probably could. If I wantedto."  
"Just get on with it," said Silph.  
"Sure thing," said Sarcasm. "I guess you could say I am the embodiment of sarcasm, or if sarcasm had a form, it would be me. Understand?" Silph only glared. "Good. So being Sarcasm, that is pretty much all I can feel, sarcastic. Same thing goes for the others. At least I think. I can only know myself, right?" He winked. "We're basically the opposite of the Nobodies. They feel nothing, we feel all but nothing, but each of us holds a specific emotion. Only one. I've wondered why that is. Passiva might know, but who wants to ask her? She's a scary lady."  
Silph lowered Heartbreaker a bit. "Passiva? What does she have to do with this?" Her thoughts flickered back to the images Boo had showed her before joining Sora's group; Passiva entering the Kingdom Heart, among other things. Things she didn't understand. What was it about Passiva? Sure, she was up to something, but what?  
"Everything," said Sarcasm. "More than even I know, which isn't too much. She doesn't keep me in the know. Must not trust me." He smiled and shrugged. "She sent me here to kill you, so she must have some faith in me."  
Silph raised Heartbreaker again. "I knew it!" she said, her anger flaring again. "You'll kill me, and everyone else who gets in your way!"  
Sarcasm raised his hands in surrender. "You've got it wrong, again. She told me to, but I don't want to."  
Silph blinked. "You don't want to?" she asked suspicious. "That doesn't make any sense."  
"Very little in life does," Sarcasm agreed. "Which makes it that much more amazing."  
Silph was lost. Sarcasm wasn't acting normal, or at least as normal as he ever was. Silph also did not know much about the Souls, but only stuck around because there was no other place she could go. Ever since she stumbled out of her own world into this madhouse of other ones there had only ever been the Souls to cling to. And oddly enough, Sarcasm. He was maddening, but he'd been the first person to find her. Perhaps she might go so far as to say that he had saved her from herself. If what he said was true, when she'd first come here she'd been the equivalent of a Nobody. She didn't feel, didn't hurt, but after time with him in Agrabah being his babysitter she'd found emotion, vitality, and a heart. "So what?" she finally said.  
Sarcasm blinked. "Pardon?"  
"So what?" she repeated. "Are you going to kill me? Or are you going to leave the Souls? Those seem to be your only options."  
Sarcasm laughed and shook his head. "No, I don't even have those options. I can't leave the Souls. None of us can, though I'm pretty sure Rebel is doing his best to try. No," he said again shaking his head. "I've found my own option."  
"So you are going to kill me," said Silph readying herself to fight again.  
Again Sarcasm shook his head. "No," he said, "you are going to kill me."  
There was a pause in which Sarcasm and Silph only stared at each other. Finally Silph said, "Why?" Sarcasm sighed. "I'm serious! This doesn't make sense! You are a Soul, or whatever it is that you are. You are my enemy. It's only natural that you should kill me. Why do you think you have to die instead of me?"  
"Because I would die anyway," said Sarcasm. "I've been holding off the order to kill you for quite some time. Passiva will do away with me when she realizes I have no intention of killing you. She's been really weird lately. Not that I care that much."  
Silph shook her head trying to make sense of this whole mess. "Then just kill me and she won't."  
Sarcasm laughed. "You really want me to kill you?"  
"No."  
"Then what? You can see how I got to my conclusion that you must kill me," said Sarcasm.  
"I don't understand," said Silph. She looked up at Sarcasm. "Passiva could kill you, not me. If I understand what you are saying, it means you want to die. Just have Passiva kill you then. Not me."  
"Passiva would," said Sarcasm carefully, "but I don't want her to."  
"Why?"  
With a laugh Sarcasm said, "Because I like you."  
Silph frowned. He was making fun of her again. She could just feel it. "Jerk," she said.  
"No! No!" said Sarcasm laughing even harder. "You don't understand. I'm Sarcasm. I can't feel anything other than that, but I like you. If I could feel more I would probably love you."  
Silph blinked. Love? Was he confessing? "What are you saying?" she said, suspicious again.  
"I'm trying to say that in my own way," Sarcasm paused, "I love you."  
Heartbreaker disappeared. Silph stood there eyeing Sarcasm wearily. She sighed. "Go find someone else to kill you Sarcasm. I won't do it."  
"Really?" said Sarcasm in surprise. "I thought you hated me."  
Silph sighed again. "I thought I did, but it appears that I don't." After some hesitation she said, "But I don't love you either. I won't kill you, because like you said, I don't want to. I think I consider you as a friend. I don't kill my friends."  
She started to walk away, but Sarcasm grabbed her hand. "Please?" he asked.  
"No." She shrugged him off and continued walking. Sarcasm muttered something as she was about to reenter the castle and she froze. "What?"  
"You heard me," said Sarcasm. "I challenge you."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Jest double-backed, landing softly on top of one of the crouching statues surrounding the bridge.  
"Come back down here or else!" Sora yelled.  
Jest snickered. "Are you trying to threaten me?" She let out a high pitch laugh. "Listen, you have never been in that position in the first place. You've yet to lay even a single scratch on me." She stood up and wiped her hair from her face. "I told you before I was willing to divulge some information.." She paused, knowing the idea caught Sora's interest.  
"Yeah, but you didn't," Roxas replied.  
"That's because you didn't allow me to."  
"No, you started into-"  
"Just listen to me," Jest interrupted. "Your group has hindered the progress of the Order; most of which, I'm sure, was without you even realizing it. There are only four members left. In my opinion, that's a sufficient amount. You see, it would take more work to accomplish our goal with more of us. We'd need more of our source, we'd need to gather more hosts- both of which are a burdensome process. Combined with the work of our previous members, we have gathered more than enough source.. leaving only the hosts and one more item to attend to. Literally hours remain until all we've accomplished can not become undone."  
Sora stood in thought. All of the information she said was more than all they had been able to gather throughout their entire journey. But the information they had gathered alone still wasn't enough. They had an idea of the location of their stronghold, the name of their leader and only part of their objective. They still didn't know their purpose or what else they required to complete task.  
"Which is why I'm willing to spare a reasonable amount of information to you. But with one small price," she said simply.  
"What is it?"  
"I'm afraid I'd need you to hand somebody over," she said, without a hint on concern in her voice.  
"What? No way!" Sora shouted. "Forget it!"  
"It's reasonable if you think about it. After all, I'm practically at risk with the chance of my superior discovering what I've done. You don't look too convinced. The reason why I'm willing to tell is because I'd like to think of this as a little game for the remaining hours of our project. This gives you a chance to act as the hero you all try to play, and me to have a little more fun! What other choice do you have with what little time remaining?"  
Roxas shook his head. "We've already made it this far and if we're as close as you say then we don't need your help."  
Jest sighed. "Very well," A faint light started to surround her. She appeared at the base of the statue.

She locked her gaze on Sora. "This will be our final game." She raised her right arm, looking up at the sky. The light surrounding her gathered into the palm of her hand. She slowly crouched down, gently touching the stone with her right hand. A rush of light filled the cracks between the stones, shooting past Sora and Roxas to the gate behind them. Jest stood up, watching as the light crept up the bars of the gate. Sora got into his stance, gripping the keyblade.  
"Here's how the it's played," she smiled. She lunged toward Roxas, avoiding both strikes from Oblivion and Oath Keeper. She grabbed his wrist, hitting Sora across the chest with Oblivion. She twisted around the handle causing Oblivion to slip from his grip. She kicked Sora back against the stone statue while disarming Oathkeeper from Roxas. She swung him around, pinning him to the gate. Strips of light lashed out from the bars, binding him to the gate. A faint aura surrounded him, slowly flowing into the light.  
Roxas clenched his teeth, struggling to free himself. He attempted to use light to manipulate the bindings but the pain grew sharper, draining the light into the aura.  
"Stop!" Sora shouted, running forward.  
She turned to Sora, walking slowly. "The game runs against time. Since I had nothing to risk on my part, I'll use the nobody," she laughed. "In the Organization, he was the only member capable of manipulating light, which is what I am also capable of. The aura absorbs the light. In which case, is most likely draining the only entity he holds. In other words, if you want your friend back, you'll have to win. If you fail, I claim you both!"  
She directed the light between the stone ground causing it to spiral up. The light lashed out at Sora. He dodged the light, watching it crash into the stone.

Sora tried to rush forward, getting closer to attack Jest upfront. But each time he drew nearer, the string of light would strike the ground where he would have stepped, preventing him to get any closer.  
"You'll never reach me at this rate," Jest provoked him. "Time's running out, you'd better hurry for his sake."  
"Why don't you come do it yourself?" Sora yelled. "Each time, you're always hiding behind some object you're manipulating yourself. You afraid to lose?" Sora grinned.  
Jest's expression grew stern. "Fear isn't an emotion I'm familiar with. It was always Scared's strong-suit."  
"Then..?" Sora raised an eyebrow.  
The string of light died down once more into the stone, a tiny glow illuminating between the cracks. "Fine by me, I've nothing to lose. I can stall your actions myself."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Silph started to laugh. "You can't be serious." She turned to see him and flew back in time to dodge a kick aimed at her head.  
"Oh, I'm serious," Sarcasm commented walking closer. "You cut down Angst without a thought, but when it comes to me you hold your own nature back. I guess I should be grateful, but it's not what I want Silphie." He paused a few feet behind her and smirked. "I guess I'll have to push you a bit."  
He began to slide back and forth, getting ready for another attack. Silph could feel the threat and got ready to counter him. Maybe she could do this without harming him. She would just wear him out until he didn't want to fight her anymore.  
"Come, Silph!" Sarcasm shouted.  
He charged, a blur to her eyes. To a normal person it would look like he disappeared entirely. Silph was used to even higher speeds having traveled through light. She watched as Sarcasm's blurred form started to take on a more clearer shape.  
Five feet. Four feet. Silph readied her stance. Three feet. Two feet. Heartbreaker appeared in her hand. One foot. Five inches. She could see him clearly now. Three inches. One inch . . .  
They met with an earsplitting crash. Silph blocked, but was flung back towards the castle doors. Sarcasm didn't let up but continued to pursue after her. That idiot! He really was going to die if he kept this pace up. A portal opened behind her and she fell through to the opposite end of the courtyard. Sarcasm looked as if he was about to crash into the doors but instead launched himself into them and met it with one foot and continued to walk upward. After two steps he launched himself backwards into an arch and spun so he landed facing Silph once again.  
Now she charged. If she didn't treat this seriously even for a second Sarcasm could very well kill her. She raced through portal after portal, getting closer and closer from different locations each time. It was meant to confuse Sarcasm, but he was able to face her each time. She met him in the center of the courtyard and began a frantic sparing match with him.  
She fought to keep each blow away from him, but Sarcasm would have it. He seemed determined to get himself stabbed by her blade, constantly dodging into her attacks. She was only barely able to keep him unharmed.  
After a while he pulled away. Silph felt relieved. It was easier to maneuver the farther Sarcasm was. She stood there with Heartbreaker in her hand, panting with the effort to keep them both from getting killed.  
It wasn't until the last second she realized what was really going on. Sarcasm, seeing an opening, ran full force into her as she was catching her breath. She fell back and Sarcasm groaned as he fell into Heartbreaker.  
Silph hit the ground and was momentarily stunned from the impact. Her breath was knocked out of her and for a while all she could see was black. When her vision returned she realized Sarcasm was on top of her with his lips pressed gently to hers. She was about to push him away when he pulled back to look into her eyes.  
"Thank you, Silph." He collapsed to the side of her and lay there breathing heavily. Small wisps of black mist were flowing off of him up towards the sky. Despite his pain he was smiling with his eyes closed.  
Silph sat up and resisted the urge to punch him. She was so mad. At him. At herself. Why did things have to be this way? She slammed her fists into the ground in frustration.  
"Don't do that," said Sarcasm looking up at her with his usual smirk. "You'll break your pretty little hands."  
Silph responded by punching him in the shoulder. Not hard, but hard enough to get her point through.  
"Ouch!" said Sarcasm rolling onto his back. "That hurts! You do know I've never been in this much pain in my entire life?" He looked away from her and whispered, "Because this is the first time."  
"I'm sorry," Silph whispered. She shuddered and a few tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said again, louder.  
"Don't cry," said Sarcasm turning back to look at her. "It's not your fault. Not really." He grinned. "This isn't like you. You should be happy I'm leaving." He chuckled and then began to cough. The black mist began to leave him faster.  
"Stop laughing, you idiot," said Silph. Tears still trickled down her face. "You'll die faster. There's nothing funny about this anyway."  
Sarcasm laughed a little and said, "But there is." He almost laughed again when Silph glared at him. "Did you know you were crying the whole time you were fighting?"  
Silph flinched. She hadn't realized. It wasn't until now that she knew she was. It wasn't like her. She wiped a few tears on her sleeve hoping to hide her embarrassment. For a while they sat there in silence. Silph watching Sarcasm fade away and Sarcasm grinning from ear to ear about something. It annoyed her, but she didn't let him know. He deserved to die however he wanted.  
"Hey," said Sarcasm. His voice was quieter. Silph looked up. "I've got something for you." Sarcasm reached into his pocket, flinching at the pain it caused him, and pulled something out. He indicated for Silph to hold out her hand and she did so. A small black pebble fell into her palm and it took her a while to realize what it was.  
"I thought I told Critter to stay away from you," she said. She'd tried to make her voice sound angry, but it came out almost like a pathetic sob.  
Sarcasm nodded, then laughed. "You did, but I told him that he didn't have to be the only one to stay away. We agreed that he would stay away from me half the time, and I would stay away from him half the time. In order for that to work we had to meet up every once in a while. He seemed happy with it." He chuckled but inhaled sharply as it disturbed his wound. He gritted his teeth. "If you had just listened to me in the first place you could have made this a lot less painful. I know you can do better than this."  
Silph froze. Her tears fell harder, but she was angry now. Without thinking she pinned Sarcasm down, ignoring his gasp of pain and slapped him. "You think I enjoy this?" she shrieked. "You think I like killing people because I'm good at it? You know nothing! NOTHING!"  
A choked sob escape her and she continued, "You don't know what it's like. You don't know how many friends I've lost because of what I do. You can't have a heart. If you have one you have to kill it. Otherwise you can't wake up in the morning. You can't breath because everyone around you dies!" She cried openly for a while, Sarcasm looking more shocked than he ever had before. Silph calmed down a bit then added, "And now you tell me I didn't kill you to the best of my abilities! I hate you! I hate you!"  
Sarcasm reached up a hand to brush her cheek. "I'm sorry," he said. "Will you forgive me if I tell you I can't but be an idiot?"  
"Not just an idiot," said Silph. "The most irritating, sarcastic idiot I ever met."  
Sarcasm grinned. "That's my girl." He closed his eyes as the last of the black mist flowed from him. He vanished, leaving Silph crying alone in a now empty courtyard. The pebble lay gently in her hand. She squeezed it gently and it echoed, "That's my girl."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Jest reached down, grabbing the end of the ribbon on her right pigtail. She gently tugged on the bells, the ribbon unwinding through her hair, causing it to drop down. She tossed her hair over her shoulders, grabbing each end of the ribbon. She looked up at him, smirking. Sora tightened his grip on the Kingdom Key. Jest raised her arm, spinning the ribbon around her. She swiftly, yet gracefully, rushed forward, clutching the ribbon with her right hand. She spun around, extending her arm causing the ribbon to extend across to Sora. Sora raised the keyblade hesitating whether or not he needed to block against a ribbon. It brushed across his face, leaving a small scratch across his cheek. In shock, Sora felt where the ribbon had cut and looked down at his hand. A small amount of blood had been drawn from where the ribbon had made contact.  
Jest giggled, watching him. She spun the ribbon once more around her. "I'm going to cut you to pieces." Her palm opened, releasing the ribbon. It spun around her with a faint sound of the jingling bells. She made a small hand gesture toward him, smiling. The ribbon disappeared. Sora's head turned, searching for it. He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and the ribbon returned to her once again, spiraling around her. He glanced at the small tear in his shoulder.  
"Well..?" Jest taunted raising an eyebrow. "You'd better hurry, there's not much left to take." She glanced at Roxas. He stood motionless, his head drooped down.  
Sora's expression grew stern. He picked up the keyblade and ran toward her. The ribbon continued to spiral around her, gradually revolving at a slower pace. She smiled, waiting for him to draw closer. The ribbon straightened, lashing forward and knocking him back. He clenched his teeth, his eyes shut tight, and grasped his side.

"How boring," She rolled her eyes, unamused. "How do you expect to get any further if you can't even manage to land one hit?" She extended her arms in his direction, the ribbon spiraling straight toward him. He raised the Kingdom Key in a small effort to block the attack, closing his eyes- anticipating the impact. When he felt nothing, he opened his eyes to see the ribbon still, inches away from his face with Rebel holding onto the other end. It began to return to Jest. She jerked on the ribbon, trying to yank it from his grip. "Aw what are you doing here? I'm in the middle of-"  
"We need to talk." Rebel interrupted.


	27. Fair Warning

**_::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, Darkblade65 and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!_**

**_Thanks for waiting! I know it's been awhile ^_^' School's been crazy... so much work to be done :( Fortunately, Fall Break's coming up soon so there's something to look forward to! _**

_Chapter Note~ **Rebel's part in this story is fairly small, but that goes for a few of the members. Rebel's personality seems to slightly revolve around progression. If things weren't moving along the way he likes or the way it should, he'd step in to alter it. He plays a bigger role in **_**Origins _along with Angst, Sarcasm and Jest. As far as the chapter goes, it's only one step closer to the conclusion of our story! Here's Chapter 27!_**

Sora noticed Roxas had been cut down and rushed over. The light faded back from the binding, returning to Roxas. Sora looked at Rebel, confused.  
"Can't it wait?" Jest glared, jerking on the ribbon.  
Rebel held firm onto his end. "Sarcasm's dead."  
Her eyes widened. She then closed her eyes, soothing her expression. "What of it? Why should I care what happens to him?"  
"Because the exact thing will happen to you if you keep this up."  
She paused.  
"You've noticed the changes too."  
"No," Jest said, refusing to listen. "The only changes I've seen is in you."  
Rebel raised an eyebrow.  
"You coward, your just afraid to go back and face her yourself. We all heard what happened between you and Passiva."  
"Oh great. So everyone else now knows?" Rebel's expression changed. "Wait that's just you. Everyone else is dead."  
"And who's fault is that?"  
"They all would've died anyway. That's what she wants. She's been planning it from the start. Can't you see we've all been used?"  
Jest turned toward the gate. She clenched her fists, facing Rebel once again. "Don't try to change my mind," she said, irritably. She extended her hand, calling her ribbon back. "You're trying to turn me against the Order."  
"No," Rebel let go of the ribbon, allowing it to flow back into her grasp. "I'm actually trying to help you but if you refuse to listen," He summoned his shuang gou, resting the left one over his shoulder. Rebel paused, allowing her one last chance to respond.  
"Then I'll allow her to take you too!" Rebel dodged Jest's ribbon which shot at him from behind.  
Jest's eyes went wide as she felt it pass straight through. She fell to her knees, clutching her wound.  
"I don't know why I even tried." Rebel sighed as he turned to face Sora. "You were never the type to listen." Jest screamed, clutching tighter as the black mist crept up her body. She slowly rose to her feet, hunching over. The ribbon shakily floated in front of her then drooped to the ground as she faded away. As soon as the ribbon made contact with the ground, it shattered, disappearing into small sparks of light.

Sora glared, stepping in front of Roxas with his keyblade tight in his grip.  
"Relax, will ya?" Rebel folded his arms. "I wouldn't have helped your friend down if I didn't plan on helping you in the first place."  
"Yeah, like all the other times I'm sure," Sora rolled his eyes. "You've been killing off your own group!"  
"What do you want me to do? Apologize? Sheesh, you can forget that," he said, slightly agitated. "Consider this my apology," Rebel snapped, a large portal appeared. "This leads straight into the Order's stronghold, previously held by Organization XIII."  
Sora lowered the Kingdom Key, considering Rebel's offer.  
"Sora!" Amu called, running through the stone archway. "There you are!"  
"Hey, what's he doing?" Yuki pointed.  
"Great," Rebel muttered. "I was wondering when the rest of 'em would show up."  
Riku stepped in front of them, summoning Road to Dawn. Kairi walked through the stone archway, alongside Silph. She attempted to ask Silph what happened, but she didn't appear to be in a mood to discuss.  
"Wait, Riku," Sora called. Riku looked up. "He's offering a way into their stronghold."  
"How do we know this isn't some set up?" Riku questioned.  
"Alright," Rebel scratched the back of his head. "I'll clear things up as best I can on the way, but we don't have much time. Now you can all sit here and question whether or not you should have gone, or follow me. Your choice."  
Silph shrugged away from the group and walked through the portal. She had her own questions for Passiva, and she was not going to let her get away with anything if she could help it. As she passed Rebel she glared. It was a warning, and she hoped he understood.  
"Yeah, yeah," Rebel muttered, grinning. Sora dismissed his keyblade as Silph walked through. Guess it's decided, he thought. "Kairi, Namine, stay by Riku." They nodded and followed him through.  
"Oh!" Yuki jumped up. "That means we're with you right? Yes! Thought so! Riuki, c'mon we're going! It's kind of exciting, huh?"  
"She have an off switch?" Rebel asked. "Keep it down once we're inside. Believe me, you don't want to get caught. Be on your guard or stay here," he walked inside.  
"Oh fine!" Yuki stuck her tongue out as Rebel walked through. Sora picked up Roxas, following them inside.

Kairi shivered as she stepped out of the portal and into an a familiar world. Thunder cracked in the sky as the rain continually poured down. Riku turned his attention to the towering white castle, still floating over the giant void. Even after the world's destruction, the castle seemed to be completely intact- as if preserved during the world's collapse. Behind them, skyscrapers stood in ruin with Naught's Skyscraper remaining.  
"Done gawking?" Rebel headed up the path. "Up here," he called over his shoulder. The group made their way up the silvery walkway.  
Yuki looked down at the transparent path, to the void below. "Whoa, what's down there?"  
Rebel didn't respond.  
"The Heartless did the last time we were here," Sora recalled. "When the darkness got too close because Kingdom Hearts. But it's destroyed now, so maybe that's why it's cleared up?" They walked in silence through Nothing's Call until they arrived in the next room. A wide barrier surrounded the room while the room acted as an elevator to take them to the floor above.  
"So what's this all about?" Sora asked, breaking the silence. "I heard what you said before about this place and what happened to the members of the Order, but what about Passiva?"  
"Passiva is..." Rebel paused, debating where he should go with this. "Different then the other members. While all of us thrived on a single emotion, she had none." He chuckled, "I guess we all assumed that was it, none of us thought much of it- only the goal she planted in our heads. While the Order focused on that, she was already preparing for hers." The room stopped moving and the barriers disappeared, allowing them to move forward. Rebel walked up the staircase leading to the Hall of Empty Melodies. Roxas began to stir. Sora set him down and he started to stand up, using the wall for support.  
"You remember this place," Rebel said, moving on. "Which reminds me, you better stay on your guard as well. She had an order for your elimination, but since the other members are gone, she'd carry it through herself."  
"What's she got against nobodies?"  
"They're lesser beings."  
"Hey!" Sora glared.  
"Silph, I'm sure you already know there's one for you as well. Same goes for myself, but I already had that coming," he grinned. He turned around, folding his arms. "Before we go any further, there's something you should know," he said, facing Riuki. "He's-" Rebel stopped, his voice cut off. Gasping in pain he looked down to see the tip of a blade pierced through his chest. Rebel smirked, cocking his head. "I was wondering when you'd show up."  
Passiva withdrew her blade. It slid back into her gauntlet, allowing Rebel to fall to the floor.  
Kairi stood in shock as the scene played out in front of them. The drew there weapons.  
"You have to hurry! Kill her before she-"  
Passiva cut him off, stabbing him with her sword. "You always did have a way of knowing too much. You should have been eliminated firsthand." Black mist began to flow from her, consuming Rebel. The mist flowed back, returning to her.  
Rebel allowed the mist to consume him, ceasing to put up a struggle. "Sora," he muttered. "Finish it." The mist faded and Rebel was no more.

Passiva turned her attention to the group, a slight grin appeared on her face. "Now that inconvenience has been dealt with..." She scanned the group. "It appears you are all here. How convenient that is for me." She took a few steps toward the group.  
"Stop," Sora warned.  
Passiva smiled.  
"I suppose Silph helped you as well, didn't you Silph? After your attempt to leave.. because of that I had to send Sarcasm out to retrieve you. I had hoped you would finish him for me."  
Kairi tried to step forward but Riku held his arm out, barring her way. "Stay behind us," he ordered.  
"But we want to help too," Kairi stated.  
"Not now, we've no way of knowing what's going to happen."  
Namine nodded. "We can still help them." Namine opened her palm, a shield formed over the group.  
Riuki looked up at Passiva and froze, dropping his keyblade. A familiar yet unknown sense of fear weld up inside him.  
"What's wrong?" Yuki asked, noticing him dropping his keyblade. Riuki remained silent.  
Passiva calmly eyed the group, scanning for a potential weak point. Riku stepped forward and pushed Riuki into the shield. "Keep him there," He told them. "He's not joining this fight."

Riku turned in time to raise Road to Dawn, blocking Passiva's hit. She swiftly moved to the side, swinging her blade horizontally and knocking him back against the wall. Sora aimed his keyblade, sending a ball of flame toward her. Passiva took a small step back, dodging the spell. Riku blocked the flame and shot a look at Sora.  
"She moved!" Sora said in his defense.  
Riku tried to conceal his grin, standing up. Yuki ran forward swinging her hammer. As the hammer was about to hit, Passiva faded into mist. She appeared in front of Sora, kicking the keyblade out of his grip and swung her blade. Roxas threw Oathkeeper, blocking her attack and rushed forward. She countered his attacks, glancing once inside the shield.  
Yuki stepped forward slashing her hammer across Passiva's back. Passiva raised her hand, sending a blast of energy at Yuki. She hit the wall and slumped forward. "You okay?" Kairi called.  
"Don't go running ahead," Riku shouted. "We need to work together!"  
"Alright," Namine nodded, dropping the shield. Kairi extended her hands summoning her keyblade. She raised it vertically and a wisp of air spiralled around the blade and shooting into the air. The wind split, the aerora casting around Sora and Riku. Whenever Passiva got too close the wind would lash out, causing her to skid back. Passiva brandished her sword, the hilt of the blade beginning to produce a silvery aura. Roxas stabbed Oblivion in the ground, pointing Oath Keeper at Passiva. A beam of light shone from the tip of the blade, creating a bright flash to distract Passiva. Passiva raised her arm to shield her eyes from the light. Silph rushed forward striking Passiva down with a diagonal slash. She jumped backward to regain her distance only to be hit from behind by Kairi's keyblade.  
Passiva swung her blade as a counter to Kairi's hit. Namine raised her arm, a shield shot up over Kairi, blocking Passiva's attack. Passiva jumped onto the balcony above. She stood over the railing then turned around, following the corridor into the Proof of Existence.  
"C'mon she's leaving!" Sora darted across the room to Naught's Skyway.  
"Sora!" Kairi called.  
"He's not going to wait," Riku said. "We'd better catch up before he hurts himself."  
They rushed up the stairs that wound around the exterior of the castle, leading to the upper floor. Roxas stepped out of his portal, running alongside Sora.  
Sora skidded to a halt in the next room searching for Passiva. The room looked almost exactly as it had the year before. Each stone representing an Organization member lay in a rubbled heap on the floor. A silvery mist hung over the seventh stone. Roxas glanced at the mist, continuing to wander around the room.  
"She's inside," Sora said as the rest of the group entered the room.  
"Then we'll all go in together," Riku said. "Keep at it like before, no more reckless attempts on your own- got it?"  
"Yeah, yeah," Sora said half-heartedly. He stepped forward entering the mist.  
Amu took a step forward then stopped, looking back at Riuki. He stood by the wall, hesitantly watching the mist.  
"Aren't you coming?" Amu asked, putting her hands on her hips.  
Amu waited for him to answer. When he didn't respond, she grabbed his arm and pulled him through the mist.


	28. Rights and Wrongs

**_::Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters. Credit goes to Square Enix and Disney. This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht, Darkblade65 and icefire5689. For character art, visit the gallery of Belladonadarkraven, Grayangelhikari or icefire5689's Deviantart account page!_**

**_Hikari, Bella and I recently got together to discuss the conclusion of our story- where we wanted to go with it. A year ago we had the entire thing mapped out, from character designs to plot and sequences. Over the months the plot had evolved, going a slightly different direction than we had originally planned [such as removing Spira. There was a whole plot behind Spira that introduced a few characters as well as another backstory]. As fun as it sounded, we decided that might be a little too much and veering off from the original 'Kingdom Hearts' feel. Planning the sequel has been quite a process but fun all the while. With the release of Birth By Sleep, all sorts of information has been unleashed, providing us with many possibilities._**

**_Good question. It's only slightly mentioned in chapter. During the course of events, nobody payed any particular attention. It was so common to them. Also, he never participated in the first fight. Riuki mainly stood on the sidelines. The full story is explained in the prequel._**

**_Also, I have seen two different names for Kairi's keyblade: Destiny's Embrace and Destiny Place. Each one of them have been used interchangeably. I'm guessing one is the English title and the other, Japanese. Does anyone know which is which?_**

**_Once again, this chapter jumps back and forth between battle sequences, hopefully it's not too confusing ^_^' I must apologize for the late post! It's been SO LONG! We've all had SO much work to do for the past month, and finals aren't helping a bit :P Plus, the new release of Birth By Sleep [which is fantastic!] Fortunately, finals and college testing has ENDED! On with the story! Thank you all for being so patient! I've extended the chapter due to my lateness...  
Happy Holidays everyone! _**

_Chapter Note~ __As I mentioned before, we often wrote each chapter while listening to music that fit for the scene we were working on. _The theme we chose for Passiva is a song from Silent Hill _called_ '_There Was a Hole Here'. The eerie yet calm melody fit her character, for this scene in particular._

The mist dispersed through the air as the remaining part of the group entered the room. It was large with a wide window, containing a view of the dark sky. The left side of the room remained gated off, a wide, vented hole in the center of the floor. Sora looked around the familiar room. He had fought Siax here just a few months ago. "I wonder what's down there?" he wondered aloud. His focus shifted to the figure by the window. Passiva stood with her back to them, looking down at the world outside. Sora ran forward and stopped, maintaining a distance between the two of them.  
"So what now?" Sora questioned. "You've got what you were after." He folded his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Are you done running?" he challenged.  
Passiva laughed quietly, her shoulders beginning to shake. They trembled even more violently as she threw back her head and sent out an loud hysteric laughter. She faced the group, wearing a stern expression. "On the contrary," Her eyes grew wide and wild. The overwhelming rush of new emotion coming over her. "I must express my condolences to you all. Without your persistent interferences, the menial labor would have been left for myself alone. Your being here was not arbitrarily part of my plan, but a fortunate coincidence on Rebel's part. But that matters little to me," Passiva glanced behind them. "Things must draw to an end." In a flash she appeared next to Amu and Riuki. Before they could react, she extended her arm toward Amu, sending her flying toward the group. They caught her, staggering back. As they did, Passiva seized Riuki, vanished in a wisp of silvery vapor. She reappeared with Riuki on the other side of the gate. She smirked, disappearing into the hole with Riuki.  
Sora rushed over to the gate, grabbing hold of the bars and hoisting himself over. He dropped onto the other side, glancing down the hole. A portal appeared near the edge. Roxas walked out, followed by the group.  
"Sora, are you sure?" Kairi grabbed his shoulder. "There's no going back after this."  
"She's got Riuki," Sora said definitely. "Let's finish this," he grinned.  
"Uh-huh!" Yuki shouted in agreement. Sora took a deep breath and jumped down into the hole.

Sora looked around, searching for Passiva while summoning his keyblade. The room overlooked the dark city and part of the castle, acting as a balcony. It was white, with ornate carvings on the pillars surrounding the room. To the left was a large pool of clear water, that seemed to go gradually deeper and deeper until it completely dropped off. A narrow overhanging loomed over the pool with a single step carved into the stone. Passiva sat on the overhanging near the water's edge, her back to them. Riuki lay across the water, unconscious. Passiva lowered her hand into the pool, allowing what looked like a red misty orb to sink into the water. Sora's attention turned to Riuki. He took a step towards the water's edge. He gasped when his foot stepped on the water as if it were a solid surface. His shoe produced a ripple getting slightly wet. "Riuki!" he shouted. "What'd you do to him?"  
Passiva ignored him, eyes fixed on the water. A faint glow could be seen from the depths of the seemingly bottomless pool.  
Sora clenched his fist. Then grasped the hilt of the keyblade with both hands and charged at Passiva. Without so much as glancing at him, she raised her arm as he drew nearer. Sora flew back across the top of the water, small splashes flew from the surface as he hit the water. Sora let out a groan, feeling as if he just belly-flopped.  
A faint red glow emerged from the bottom of the pool, ascending to the surface toward Passiva. Passiva reached her hand through the water as it drew nearer, cupping it into her hands. Kairi focused on the object Passiva retrieved from the water's edge. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was. "Riku, it's a heart."  
"What?" Riku's eyes narrowed.  
"Why does she need the heart?"  
"I'm not sure," Riku said, still watching Passiva.  
Passiva took a step down onto the water, the heart hovering over the palm of her right hand.  
Silph stepped forward and raised Heartbreaker. "She needs a heart to become whole," she said. "That, and the other emotions that she stole from the rest of the order."  
"I guess it makes sense," Sora said, thinking it through. "But who's heart is it? She doesn't have one."  
Passiva smiled, answering his question by closing her hand around the heart.  
Riuki began to scream in pain, grabbing his chest.  
"Interesting that this boy," Passiva spoke quietly. "A being like us and was able to obtain a heart."  
Sora looked from the heart to Riuki. The tighter the hold she placed upon it, the more pain it seemed to cause him.  
"Stop, it's hurting him!" Yuki shouted, rushing forward.  
Riku grabbed her arm to hold her back. "Stay back with the others," he told her. He summoned his keyblade and stepped forward.  
Passiva maintained her grip on the heart, smiling.

"I said stop!" Sora charged at Passiva, raising his keyblade. Sora brought down the blade, only to be countered.  
"Huh?" Sora looked up to see what had blocked his attack. Riuki stood in front of him, holding his keyblade firmly against Sora's. "Riuki?" He had noticed the blade before but the thought never registered. How did he have a keyblade?  
Passiva tightened her grip one last time. A black mist encompassed the heart. "I knew he would prove to be quite useful." Everyone watched as a black mist began to creep up Riuki as Passiva continued. "His watch proved more reliable then waiting for Silph's reports, even without his realization. When I found him at Castle oblivion I took his memories along with the heart. It would've been inconvenient if he were to flee again." Passiva turned toward them, standing over the center of the pool.  
"You were using him to spy?" Yuki shouted. She looked down. It wasn't his fault, he was oblivious to the entire thing all along. He had no control over it. "That's why he changed all those times."  
"You used him to get rid of Sorrow and anything else that got in the way," Sora realized.  
"If that's all you were using him for, why didn't you get rid of any of us while you had the chance?" Sora asked, struggling to keep his ground as Riuki pressed harder against the keyblade.  
"I thought you would have noticed by now," Passiva said, looking down at the heart. "He was not only used to provide information. His primary purpose is so that I may become whole. I had intended on finishing him at Castle Oblivion but saw this as an opportunity to end the Order without personally handling the situation"  
Riuki pushed harder against Sora's keyblade. Sora fought back, trying to retain his stance but failed. Losing grip on his keyblade he fell to his knees, the Kingdom Key slid out of reach. He extended his arm, reaching out toward the blade. In a flash of light it reappeared in his grasp.

"Is that all you can do?" Silph asked defiantly. "Use people? You used me, you used the order, Sarcasm, and now Riuki?" She crouched, ready for an attack. "No more. Even if it's the last thing I do I'll make sure you never become whole again!" A portal opened before Silph and she charged. Two smaller portals opened in front of Boo and Critter as they too raced forward. Passiva's expression changed to a pleasing smile. A spiral of silvery mist shot down her left arm toward the ground, taking shape into a long sword-like weapon. "That's not for you to decide," she spoke calmly. "The order was already issued for your elimination. Kill them," she ordered Riuki. She slowly walked forward toward Silph. Silph paused at the sight of Passiva's weapon. Critter and Boo stopped short behind her. Carefully she followed Passiva's every step. She'd had the opportunity to observe other members of the order and their fighting styles closely. Passiva, on the other hand, was one she had not seen fight at all before today. What was her strategy? How did she move? What weakness could she possibly use against her? "You must be good if Sarcasm was afraid for his life," Silph commented. "I wonder what exactly it was that scared him so bad." She eyed the sword suspiciously. "I guess I'll find out. Boo, shield me," said Silph as she took her stance. Boo hummed softly and though Silph couldn't see the barrier she knew it was there. "Critter, keep close. I don't know what's going to happen." Critter nodded and grabbed on to Silph's leg. Heartbreaker stood steady in her hands as she and Passiva squared off. They stood looking at each other, judging who would go first. It seemed hours that they studied each other, but in mere seconds Silph rushed forward, disappearing in a blur of speed. Heartbreaker swung down towards Passiva and the battle began.

Passiva swung her sword in a circular motion, a string of light remained where the tip of the blade had traced. She lightly touched the center of the circle with her gauntlet and the light flooded toward the center, gathering in the palm of her hand. She opened her hand toward Silph with a beckoning motion and the light shot out in three parts. Two of the three made contact with Critter and Boo, to bind the extra 'hindrances'. She was to annihilate Silph alone. The final beam spread open, blasting Silph into the marble wall marking the side of the pool. The light spiraled around her body, consuming her.  
Passiva stood over the center of the pool, turning her attention to the struggle past the water's edge.

Roxas stood beside Namine, watching Passiva closely. He summoned Oblivion and Oath Keeper, looking down in thought.  
"Are you okay?" Namine put a hand on his shoulder.  
Roxas looked up. "Huh? Yeah," He shook his head. "I think we need to think this through better. We can't just rush in and expect to win every time, we need to find her weakness. Put a shield around you, Kairi and the other two. Make sure Yuki stays there, I don't know what's going to happen."  
"Okay," she nodded.

Riuki rushed forward toward Sora, leaving him no time to prepare to counter his attack.  
"Don't listen to her!" Yuki shouted, blocking his attack. She screamed, being thrust backward by Riuki's attack. Riku rushed forward, catching her before she hit the pillar and set her down. A white shield formed around her, connecting to the others. "Huh, what?" Yuki felt the shield in front of her. "How come? I need to help him!"  
"It's too dangerous," Namine said softly. "We need to search for a way we can help them instead of blindly rushing in. Watch what's happening, and spot anything that we can use against her."

Sora countered Riuki's attack, with Roxas following up from behind. Riku briefly turned his attention to Silph and Passiva's fight, surprised to see Passiva still clutching the heart.  
Passiva, glanced toward Riku. Noticing Riku his guard was down, Riuki disarmed him, striking him down with a blow from behind.  
"Riku!" Kairi shouted. "Namine, keep the shield over me," she yelled, rushing forward. She extended her arm, summoning Destiny's Embrace. Riuki glanced up, switching targets.  
In a blink of an eye, Riuki appeared in front of Kairi. Before anyone could react, he broke through the shield, grasping her keyblade. The shield shattered into beads of light that faded into the dark sky.  
"Kairi!" Sora thrust the Kingdom Key between the two of them. As he did, Kairi released her grip from the blade, allowing Sora to bring his key under and around hers, flinging it from Riuki's grip. Kairi closed the palm of her hand and dismissed the blade midair.  
"Thanks." Kairi smiled at him as she casted a healing spell on Riku.  
Immediately, Riuki short forward, locking blades with Sora.  
"Don't go so hard on him!" Yuki pleaded, glaring at Sora. "He can't control it!"  
"Listen," Riku looked at Sora. "Passiva has control over his heart. If you can get it away from her he should snap out of it."  
"Kay," he nodded.

Silph had remained unharmed from the attack thanks to Boo, but getting out of the light wasn't easy. Critter, still clinging to her leg, was carefully eating his way through. Once he broke through to the other side she and Critter dropped to the ground ready for the next round. She glanced at Riku then turned her cold gaze to Passiva. Heartbreaker glowed brightly before bursting into two blades, her ace-heart keyblade in her right, and the assassin spear-blade in her left.  
Silph raised the spear-blade and pointed it to where Passiva's heart would have been if she had one. "Passiva!" she shouted. "Your life ends here!" Silph raised the spear-blade skyward as it began to glow with a blazing light. Energy gathered at the tip, ready to be released. Critter threw himself off her leg and ran for cover with the rest of the group. Boo flew over too, casting a shield around Kairi and Riku. Everyone who was not under the safety of her shield found themselves flying back under it.  
Wind swirled around Silph's form, whipping her hair back and forth. Suddenly she swung her blade down and cried, "Dance! Starlit spiral!"  
Light poured from the blade, scattering into disk shaped plates that spun and swirled across the room. Portal after portal danced around Passiva, surrounding her on all sides. Silph flew into the nearest portal and disappeared.  
She appeared again through one of the many portals spinning around the room and struck where Passiva stood. In a second instant she was gone again, weaving in and out of portals, striking Passiva with a myriad of attacks.  
Passiva closed her eyes, fading into a a mist. The attack continued, passing through where she once stood.  
The light soon faded and Silph landed before the group and turned to see if it had any effect. Passiva was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't mean she wasn't there. As the light faded she held up her keyblades for another attack. "A little help guys?" she asked as Boo lowered the shield. Critter ran over and clung to her leg again, then looked towards the others to see if they would follow. Boo hovered close to Namine to add shield support.  
"Give me a sec," Sora said through clenched teeth, pushing against Riuki's keyblade.  
"Leave him to us, you and Silph focus on Passiva," Roxas told him, attacking Riuki from behind. He immediately turned his attention to countering Roxas.  
"Kay," Sora nodded, running back toward the water. He stopped by Silph, scanning the room for Passiva. "Where'd she go?"  
"There," Silph pointed to one of the far columns of pillars. The pillars were clustered in groups of threes, standing six feet from reaching the ceiling. The mist gathered around the nearest pillar, Passiva taking her form.  
"Shame," she said, looking down at the heart. "To have made it this far and remain unsuccessful in your journey. But that is none of my concern. This heart, and the emotions I've gathered will appease Kingdom Hearts and grant me completion. Acquiring the proper host is a different matter."  
"Kingdom Hearts was destroyed, there's no way you'd be able to use it!" Sora shouted.  
"Kingdom Hearts," Passiva smiled. "Was restored from its dilapidated state after this world fell to ruin. I was able to preserve segments of this castle as well as what was left of Kingdom Hearts. Unbeknown by the members of my Order, I worked endlessly on restoring it, piece by piece... feeding what little hearts and emotion I had to offer, released from heartless by keyblades like yours."  
"You were only doing what Xemnas tried to do," Roxas realized. "You took each heart freed from the heartless we defeated- only you never intended having any of the others getting what they wanted."  
"They had another purpose," she said, her eyes focused on the pool.  
"Emotion," Silph muttered in realization. She turned to Sora. "Sarcasm told me before he died that each member of the order had only one emotion. That's it. Passiva must have wanted their emotions. It's not just a heart she's after!"  
"Wait a sec," Sora paused. "So if she's got the emotions for the heart.. she only needs one more thing, right?"  
"Yes, a body." Riku looked at Sora, annoyed. "She already told us that. Weren't you paying attention?"  
Sora glared and opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Yuki. "But wait, wouldn't Riuki's heart already have all those emotions?"  
"Years ago, the research I took part in was strictly devoted to unraveling the mysteries of the heart. After, I was determined to construct a heart of my own. True his heart was complete, however," She paused. "It contained a few unnecessary emotions."  
Everyone turned their gaze downwards as the water beneath them began to glow. Under their feet the reflection of a heart-shaped moon appeared. The image faded from view, illuminated with light. As the light dimmed, an elaborate white door stood at the edge of the pool. Kingdom Hearts.  
Sora glared. It was because of what was behind those doors that continually started this mess, year after year.

Passiva vanished, suddenly appearing in front of Silph. She spun around, slashing down with her sword. Silph raised Heartbreaker, countering in what little time she had. Silph managed to block and returned with a side slash. "I already know about your sword, Passiva. You won't get me with that trick."  
Passiva raised her sword, blocking her hit. She stepped forward, pressing down on Silph's sword. Silph pressed hard against the blade, preventing it from slipping past. Small sparks spurted from the blade's force as the blades locked against each other. Passiva smiled, advancing another step.  
Out of the corner of her eye, Silph noticed a faded blur, appear from behind. Riuki lunged forward, delivering a horizontal slash, causing Silph to fall forward. Passiva twisted her wrist, bringing out the hidden blade. She thrusted it up under Silph, stabbing her in the side.  
Passiva lifted her weapon, aiming for her heart. She brought the blade down, only to meet Oblivion.  
Roxas crossed Oath Keeper and Oblivion, keeping Passiva's blade in the center. "Sora, get the heart!" he shouted. He slid the blades to disarm the sword and spun the them, lunging toward Passiva. Silph gasped and clutched her side. She fell to the floor, dizzy from the pain. Critter ran to her, Boo close behind.  
Passiva turned to the side, avoiding his attack. She stood feet away from the door, Riuki now standing in between jumped up, bringing his blades down over Roxas. He dodged, narrowly avoiding the attack. The blade hit the watery surface with a large _crack_. Droplets of water splashed up from the surface.  
Sora rushed up to Silph, eying Passiva as he did so. "You okay?" He paused, looking for a new choice of words. "Let's get you to the others."  
"I'll be fine," said Silph trying to stand. She fell back to the floor and hissed. The pain in her side almost blinded her. She shook it off and tried again, but Critter stopped her. "I said I'm fine!" said Silph angrily. Critter shook his head and poked her side. Her vision spun and she almost past out. Critter folded his arms as if to say, see you're not fine, then looked towards Boo. She bobbed in agreement and levitated Silph into the air. "Critter! Boo! Stop it!" Critter looked at Sora and placed his hand on his chest then motioned for him to go. He then spun on his heel and followed Boo and Silph towards the rest of the group.

Sora watched as Critter and Boo placed her with the others. Kairi rushed over for support.  
"Sora!" Roxas shouted, trying to get his attention. Riuki spun his blade, hitting him full on with a horizontal slash. Roxas crashed into the wall, lifting his blade to block Riuki's next hit. Riuki slid back once his blade made contact and advanced forward, raising his blade once more. Sora rushed forward, skidding to a halt on top of the water between Roxas and Riuki. Their blades clashed as Riuki delivered the blow. Roxas separated his blades, sending Riuki back once again, gaining distance.  
"Go get the heart," Sora told him.  
Roxas nodded, running towards Passiva. She stood, calmly waiting for him to draw near. Now only feet away, he raised Oath Keeper and dismissed Oblivion. He reached his now free hand out, aimed for the heart. Passiva turned to the side, her sword meeting his blade. Roxas twisted his grip on Oath Keeper, bring his blade underneath hers and pushed up. Her sword spun out of her grip, landing next to the door.  
Sora slashed down with his keyblade at Riuki, only to hit air. "Huh?" Sora glanced around. Riuki was gone.  
Roxas stepped forward, pointing Oath Keeper at her chest. He drew back the blade, ready to strike. Riuki appeared in front of her as she loosened her grip on the heart. The darkness around the heart faded, returning Riuki to his true form.  
Roxas lurched forward, hesitating when noticing Riuki's sudden appearance.  
Riuki looked at Roxas, dazed. "R-roxas? What's going on?" He looked up at Oathkeeper. "Why are you..."  
Passiva tightly held onto Riuki's heart, the darkness erupting out and around it. Riuki let out a cry of pain as the dakness once again took over. Before being completely engulfed Riuki looked over his shoulder at the source of the pain. His eyes widened when he saw the shadowed heart, the memory of how Passiva took it returning to him."Roxas! I...!"  
"Wha-?" Roxas stepped back as the darkness took over him. Riuki's weapon reappeared in his grip. He rapidly lashed out at Roxas without giving him any time to counter. Roxas flew back across the floor, skidding to a stop. He shook his head. "I'll try again."  
Kairi watched as he disappeared through a portal. Moments later he appeared behind Passiva. She turned to face him, Riuki suddenly appearing in between them once again. The darkness faded just as Roxas was about to strike, causing him a moment of hesitation. Passiva seized the opportunity to turn Riuki, and send Roxas back across the floor. Kairi shook her head as Sora tried another approach, only to be pushed back by Riuki.  
Sora groaned. No matter what they tried, Passiva would only continue to utilize her shield. "She keeps using him. There's got to be a way we can take the heart from her."  
Riku stood up, summoning Road to Dawn.  
"Riku, you're hurt," Kairi protested.  
"I'm fine," he reassured her. "Stay behind the shield."  
"When can we come out?" Yuki grumbled.  
"Stay."

Sora flew back into the wall, Riuki appearing in front of him. Sora raised the Kingdom Key to counter his attack while Riuki twisted his blade, sending the Key skidding across the marble floor. He raised his keyblade, aimed for his heart. Sora turned his gaze to the tip of the weapon, shutting his eyes tight as he thrust it forward. He opened his eyes to see the blade stab into the wall next to his side. Riuki leaned against the blade, grasping the handle tight. The shadows slowly crept back, revealing his true form. He closed his eyes tight as he struggled to fight off the darkness. "Sora, you're going to have to kill me."  
"What? No way! There's gotta-"  
"No there's not." Riuki interrupted before Sora could argue. "Passiva will keep using me as a shield. It's the only way to get to her."  
"Don't talk like that!" Sora said. "There's no way I could do that, there has to be something else..."  
Riuki opened his mouth to respond but the pain returned. He shut his eyes tight as the darkness erupted around him, consuming him , Riuki lunged forward, kicking off the wall. He took out his keyblade as he did so, landing on the edge of the water in a crouched position.  
Yuki rushed out from the behind the shield with a worried look in her eyes. "What did he say?" she asked.  
Sora shook his head.  
"Tell me!"  
"He said we'd have to destroy the heart if we want to defeat Passiva."  
Yuki's eyes grew wide with realization. "N-no! But doing that- it'd kill him!"  
"How can you be sure it would?" asked Silph waving Critter off. He was trying his best to be nurse, but all his poking and prodding was only causing more pain. "He didn't always have a heart. Would taking it away really destroy him?"  
"It's not that," Namine said. "Originally, it would have no effect on him. But now that he's connected to the heart, destroying it would destoy him as well."  
"We can't damage the heart!" Yuki shouted. "All we need to do is talk some sense into him!" She darted off toward the edge of the pool where Riuki stood.  
"Yuki- come back!"  
"Riuki, snap out of it, please!" Yuki shook his shoulders. "You don't have to listen to her!"  
Passiva raised an eyebrow, eying the scene. She steadily tightened her grip on the heart. Riuki pulled out of her grip, drawing his keyblade. He lunged forward, gripping the blade at his side with both hands. Yuki stood, watching as he drew nearer.

Roxas appeared in between them, crossing his blades to block Riuki's hit. Riuki stepped forward, putting more pressure on the blade. "Yuki, now's not the time!"  
"But someone has to help Riuki-"  
Roxas clenched his teeth, struggling to regain ground as Riuki pressed forward. "Sora! Go ahead, I'll hold him off!"  
Sora hesitated.  
"Sora!"  
"Okay." Sora took off toward Passiva.  
Roxas dismissed his keyblades, dodge rolling to the side of Riuki's blade. He stood up, recalling Oblivion in his grasp.  
"No!" Yuki shouted. "You can't destroy it!" Yuki summoned her weapon. As she moved forward she felt a hand rest upon her shoulder.  
"Yuki, this is the only way to help him. He said so himself," Kairi said.  
Amu stood next to Yuki. "Hey, they know what they're doing. Just trust them.. okay?"  
Yuki looked down. As much as she hated the idea, she couldn't stand the thought of him struggling against Passiva any longer. He had been fighting for so long. She shook her head, dismissing the hammer. "Fine."

Riuki lurched after Sora, meeting blades with Roxas once again. Passiva turned her head noticing Sora's approach. She switched the grip on her sword to an underhand position, walking toward him. Sora rapidly slashed his keyblade through the air. Passiva casually lifted her blade, countering each strike. On the final hit, Sora stepped back and aimed the Kingdom Key. A ball of energy gathered at the tip and fired out into individual beams. As Passiva focused on deflecting the beams, Sora rushed from behind, raising the blade to strike the heart.  
Passiva slashed through the final beam, gripping the heart. A sly smile formed across her lips. She turned to face him, arm outstretched as if offering him the heart. "Do it," she taunted. Sora lowered the blade, hesitating to follow through. He clenched his fist tight on the blade. Passiva slashed her blade across his chest, causing him to fly back. He stood up, clutching his side. She had practically handed the heart straight to him- toying with him.  
"What happened?" Roxas called from across the room.  
Sora shook his head, "I couldn't do it.."  
Riuki melted into shadow and whisked over to Sora. Once there he reemerged from the shadow knocked him back into Roxas. Sora looked up to see Riuki lunging forward, blade extended to deliver the finishing blow. Roxas quickly pushed Sora off, scrambling to his feet to block. Riuki froze, his keyblade slipped from his grip, clattering to the ground. Riuki collapsed as the shadows dispersed. Sora and Roxas wheeled around. They were as shocked as Passiva to see Riku removing Road to Dawn from the punctured heart.

"No!" Passiva immediately lashed out, striking Riku across the chest. Unable to block Riku took the full force of the attack, sending him flying towards Roxas and Sora. The two of them dismissed their keyblades, catching him before he hit the floor.  
"Riku! Why'd you-"  
"Because you never would have been able to on your own."  
Critter looked up from attending Silph and frowned. He looked torn between staying with her, and going to Riuki. "It's alright," said Silph sitting up slightly, "I'll be fine. Go." Critter smiled at her, then made his way to Riuki's side. He paused a foot from him and gave him a gentle poke. When he didn't respond he poked him a bit harder. He sat on the ground and scooted closer before laying his head on his friend's shoulder and hugged him. Was he gone? Did he lose another friend? He just couldn't understand.

Passiva turned to the group, furious. "After all the preparations and careful planning in obtaining and constructing this heart," she allowed the heart to slip to the ground. "All the emotions I gathered, gone to waste." A dim light surrounded the dark blade of he sword. In a blur, she appeared in front of Riku, quickly bringing down a harsh blow. Sora's keyblade lashed forward, blocking her strike.  
"Very well," Passiva sneered. "If this is all I am able to do I will acquire a new form, and strip your heart of it's contents, beginning anew." She smiled, vanishing in a wisp of silvery mist. Sora looked down at the water's reflection. A blurred image appeared from underneath. Inside was a dark world, with long grass surrounding the pond. Across the pond were four round stone steps, leading to a tattered gazebo and an old mansion. A heavy mist emanated from the pool.  
"Sora!" Roxas called, rushing forward. "Get out of there!" The fog surrounded Sora, clouding his sight. He turned, swiping his keyblade through the air. If Passiva was hiding in the mist, there was no way he was going to act as a sitting target. As the fog lifted he glanced down at the water's reflection. Roxas was kneeling on the surface through the water. He appeared to be shouting, but no noise would come through. He felt a chill through the air and turned. His surroundings had turned into the world he saw through the water's reflection. The water's reflection now appeared to reflect the previous white room, from inside. He crouched down, trying to reach through the water into the other side but his fingers were unable to pass through the liquid.  
"Roxas!" Sora called. "Can you hear me?" Roxas inaudibly shouted back. He didn't seem to understand. Roxas frantically waved his hands and pointed behind him.  
"_Huh_?" Sora squinted. He slowly turned to see where he had pointed. As he did, a blade passed straight in front of him. So that's what he meant. Sora's eyes widened. If he hadn't moved, the blade would have speared him for sure. Passiva grinned, fading into the surrounding mist.

"Sora," Roxas shook his head.  
"Is he alright?" Kairi rushed forward to the water's edge.  
Roxas shrugged. "Hope so."  
"Riuki," Yuki shook him. "Please wake up."

Namine casted a final cure spell on Silph, the last of her wound faded. "You okay?" she asked.  
"Thanks, Namine," said Silph standing up. She looked around and frowned. "We've taken a lot of damage." Boo snuggled up to her cheek and purred. Silph gently pushed her away. "Yes, I'm fine, but the battle isn't over." She glanced at Namine. "I think we need to get Sora out of there. Passiva isn't one to show mercy, and if it's his heart she's after, she's sure to do everything in her power to get it."  
"She's sealed up whatever path she used granting her access into that world. If we could find some alternate route, we might have a way in, however I'm not sure where this is."  
Roxas looked through the reflection into the lifeless world below. This world seemed familiar somehow although he was certain he had never been there before. The fog thickened from underneath, making it impossible to see past a few feet. If they couldn't make it inside, Sora would be on his own.

"If this is all I have to deal with, I believe I can manage," she spoke in a calm, airy tone. "You may not be what I intended, but the others appear, at the moment, insufficient. Altering your heart shouldn't be too difficult.."  
Sora gripped the handle with both hands, holding it straight in front of him. He would turn to each direction the voice would appear to be sounding. "Come on and try," he taunted. Maybe this was the wrong time to provoke her? Who knew what she'd do after the heart was destroyed.  
The mist seemed to thicken across the pond. Sora stepped across the surface of the water. He jumped on top of one of the large stepping stones along the path of the long reed-like grass.  
Passiva appeared in front of Sora, lashing out with a series of attacks. Sora lifted his keyblade to counter. Whenever Sora had the chance to return his attack, Passiva would swing her sword with full force, preventing him from doing so. She swung her sword, knocking him into the tall grass. He skidded to a stop, glancing around for her. As he rose to his feet, Passiva sent another wave of attacks, knocking him back down. Sora jumped to his feet, getting into his stance.  
"Quit hiding!" He swiped his keyblade across the air. Sora heard a soft chuckle from behind. He wheeled around, blocking her sword as he did. He blocked her vertical slash, returning his attack using ragnarok. She lifted the dark sword, absorbing the strings of light produced from his attack. She tossed her sword, gripping the handle underhand and slashed him across the chest with all her strength. Sora flew back, sliding across the water. He groaned, rolling to his side. He pulled himself up, kneeling on top of the moist surface. He reached for his keyblade, breathing heavily. She had only been playing with them before. She had no intention to hold back now.  
Sora quickly looked up, scanning the still landscape. He paused, hearing a faint dripping noise. A print formed across the water, rippling out on top of the surface, as though someone was walking across. The mist gathered, taking on the form of Passiva. She looked down through the water at the World That Never Was. Sora stood up, staggering forward. She opened her fist then clenched it tight. As she did, bindings of light formed around his wrists and ankles, pinning him as though he was chained to a wall. He wriggled in attempt to slip from the binding but it held firm. Passiva slowly walked forward, smiling. She raised her sword until it was level to his heart.


	29. Hide and Seek

**:: Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters! _This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht and icefire5689._**

**_Chapter Note: This world is extremely significant. Unfortunately not too much info about it will be revealed in this story, but in the prequel as well. Each new world Square Enix and Disney add (such as End of the World, World That Never Was and Land of Departure) is different from the others so we decided to do the same with this one. We've described it as taking what looks like traditional Japanese-style houses and stacking them on top of each other (similar to a skyscraper.)  
_****_*_**very slight spoilers**_* [*_**_spoiler note_**_: now I'm not sure how 'censored' people expect "spoilers" to be so whether it ends up spoiling much or not I'll let you know..] The world was once a beautiful town with stone roads but after certain events has been left in the dilapidated state it's in. The structures are worn and some are left in ruins. The town is a mixture between an old village and that of a cityscape. There are some unpaved roads but many narrow streets and ally ways. Hikari, Bella and I picture the architecture similar to an old style Japanese building. _**

**_Bleh xP it's been too long! I've been trying over and over to post this chapter but for weeks it wouldn't upload :P So glad it's finally gone through... Thank you all so much for waiting patiently for this next chapter, and we hope you enjoy it!_**

No matter how hard Yuki shook and pleaded Riuki wouldn't wake. "Riuki!" She cried, letting out all the pain she felt. Her grief turned into anger as her eyes shot at Riku. "Why? He was our friend!"  
Riku flinched as Kairi began healing his wounds from Passiva.  
"Answer me!"  
Riku looked at Yuki slightly annoyed. "Because it had to be done. If I hadn't Passiva would've used him to kill us all."  
"But he was our friend!"  
Riku didn't respond.  
"What about Sora?" Amu struck back, siding with her best friend. "The only reason he's down there alone with that freak is because of you."  
"Pointing fingers does us no good," said Silph sharply. "Right now it doesn't matter who did what. The more time we argue, the more time Sora is left down there with Passiva alone. If you have time to point fingers, then you have time to come up with a way to get to Sora. If we succeed we'll have time to mourn for our losses later, but if Passiva has her way, all the sacrifice and pain we've gone through up until now will have been for nothing." Feeling increasingly agitated with the current situation Silph walked briskly over to the mirrored pool to search for some hint of breaking through. Critter followed at her heels, while Boo fluttered around the pools edge, occasionally dipping down into it to see if she could force her way through.

Roxas pounded once more on the watery surface. It was no surprise when it didn't give in. "Uugh," he groaned, peering down through the mist.  
"Can you open up a path?" Kairi asked.  
"Already tried, it won't give."

"Your portals won't work," Riuki slowly raised his hand. A misty spiral appeared above the pond. "Passiva didn't want anyone getting into her world. Only soulless can get in. "  
Silph nodded. "Stay here, Critter. Roxas and I will handle this." She ran through to the other side.

* * *

It was no use, the bands weren't about to give in. Had he lost? There was no sign of anyone. Passiva had sealed the path between the two worlds. He was on his own. Sora tried one last attempt to free himself. He looked up in time to see Passiva thrust her blade forward.

In the last second Silph blocked the blade with Heartbreaker. With all her strength she thrust Passiva back and stood between her and Sora. "Just in time, I see," she said taking a better stance. "You okay?"  
"Yeah," Sora sighed in relief. "Thanks."  
Roxas lifted Oath Keeper, he light bands across Sora's wrists and ankles dispersed, being absorbed into the keyblade. Sora dropped down, rubbing his wrists.  
"Are you still able to fight?" asked Silph offering a hand up.  
Sora nodded, taking her hand. He dusted himself off and summoned his keyblade. "Let's finish this."  
"I fully agree," said Silph splitting Heartbreaker into two separate blades. She charged Passiva and swung the spear-blade down on her with all her strength.

* * *

Namine stepped forward and knelt down by Riuki's side. She looked up at the surrounding group. "It may not be too late to save him. His heart isn't lost- it's still somewhat connected to him."  
"And how would that save him?" Yuki asked. "That's the reason why he's dying in the first place. Because of that heart and what Passiva did to it."  
"But he was able to live before she altered the heart. His heart is holding on to the remaining entity he holds within him: his memories. He didn't have a heart before but was able to retain memories of his own, like nobodies. If he was able to do it then, why not now? The only issue would be to separate his memories from those contained within the heart itself."  
"What happens then?"  
"I can not say for sure," Namine shook her head. "Separating his old memories from the new ones he experienced with a heart should break the connection. The new memories will have to be scrambled in order to retain the disconnection, but they will still reside within him."  
"Why can't you replace those memories with the new ones? Does that mean he'd forget us, everything that's happened?"  
"Shattering the existing memories would destroy him. Each link will remain inside but others will have to be kept deep within him in order to lose the heart's connection."  
Yuki knelt down, shaking her head. "Do it."  
Namine nodded, turning to Riuki.

* * *

Passiva vanished only to appear on the other side of the pond. She stood in the center of a dirt road, towering buildings stood in either side of the street. She stood with a stern expression, hands resting by her side. "Then come," she beckoned. "And the last stading shall witness the deaths of those around you." A thick mist gathered across the street and rose. Passiva smiled, stepping backwards until she was lost under the fog's cover.  
"C'mon," Roxas rushed forward. "She's not coming back out." He summoned Oblivion and stepped forward, being consumed by the mist. Sora nodded, turning to Silph. Passiva had no intentions of fighting a fair fight. It would be too risky to enter inside. Who knows what could happen.  
Sora made up his mind. "Let's go," he said. "He's already inside."  
The two of them stepped across the water and entered the clouded street.  
"I have a bad feeling about this," said Silph keeping both Heartbreaker's halves at the ready. "Try not to get separated. Our only shot at her is to work together." She continued to scan for any signs of Passiva. It was so difficult to see even a few feet in front of her.  
"Yeah," Sora agreed. The two of them slowly made their way through the street. It wasn't long until they met up once again with Roxas.  
"Hey," Roxas squinted, trying to distinguish the figures through the fog. "Anything?"  
"No," Sora shook his head. "Where are we anyway?"  
"Dunno," he glanced around. The world seemed dead, the ongoing silence surrounding them only seemed fit to contribute. Passiva was nowhere to be seen. Although she was out of sight, it was possibly she knew exactly where they were. "Let's keep moving."

"This place is creepy," said Silph as they moved around. "The air seems heavy, like something terrible happened here."  
Sora shivered. She was right. What had happened here? Heartless?  
They carefully made their way though the empty street. Every so often there would be a break in the road, turning down another road or alley. There was a low _crash_. Sora wheeled around, spotting a small puff of debris. He approached the small cloud of dust. A torn wooden shutter sat in the middle. Sora looked up at the window above. Sure enough, there was only one shutter, dangling from the chipped frame. This place might be older than he thought. The structures looked as though they would cave in at any given moment. It certainly wouldn't take much.

Sora peered inside the window, squinting hard, trying to see past the fog. He jumped back as a figure moved from within the building. "There!' he shouted. He jumped across the window pane, searching deep inside the structure.

o.o.o.o.o

Passiva stood in the center of the alley, watching as the group slowly passed by. "Silph," she whispered. She knew Silph had heard her. Passiva turned, walking into the alley.

Silph's ears twitched at the sound of her name. "There!" she shouted using Heartbreaker to point. She began running full speed to where Passiva had disappeared into the alleyway. "Don't lose sight of her!"  
"Hey!" Roxas called, turning around. Both Silph and Sora had darted off in opposite directions, claiming they saw something. But who was right? Probably Silph.  
He stepped forward, shouting their names, hoping they could hear. Roxas paused. A figure began to approach from the fog. "Silph? Sora?" He clutched his keyblades and carefully approached the shady figure.

o.o.o.o.o

Silph paused in the alley when she realized Roxas and Sora weren't with her. "So much for stick together," she sighed. Maybe they were still behind her, only out of sight. She continued to make her way through the mist. Her ears were perked for any sound that might lead her to Passiva. "Where are you?" she asked in frustration.

o.o.o.o.o

Sora turned as the shadow passed by, creeping down a narrow hallway and into the next room. He swiped his hand through the air, summoning the Kingdom Key, then rushing inside the small room. There, Passiva stood next to a broken window. Sora ran forward, leaping into the air. Without so much as a glance, she raised her hand, blasting him through the fragile wall.  
"Agh," he dusted himself off, immediately leaping to his feet. He stepped back into the room, only to find it empty. "Quit hiding!"  
Sora spotted a rusted staircase through a door at the end of the hall. He ascended the steep stairway, stopping to catch his breath upon reaching the top. Dead end. He looked down at the rubbled heap fifteen feet below. The building must have caved earlier. It was a miracle the other half remained standing, especially while supporting the floors above.  
"Come on!" Sora groaned. Where'd she go?  
He stood up, scanning the area. "It doesn't look so bad up here," he observed. It wasn't a drastic change, but enough to tell. The higher you go, the clearer it got. He'd keep that in mind.

o.o.o.o.o

Roxas stopped, peering into the fog. The mist began to gather, taking form. Passiva emerged, thrusting the long blade. Roxas turned, dodging the blade and raised Oath Keeper to counter her following blow. He crossed his blades, releasing them in a vertical slash. Passiva jumped back into the air. Roxas raised Oblivion, sending a blast of white aura. She closed her eyes, fading into the mist. The aura passed through, slamming into the building. There was a low rumble as the weak beams began to shift.

The ground started to tremble from beneath Sora's feet. He took a stance, holding his ground. There was a low, metallic moan as a beam connecting the staircase snapped, causing the stairs to give way. The building was about to collapse.  
The floor creaked, caving in from above. Sora jumped off of the ledge, hitting the ground hard. He glanced back to see the building crumble into a cloud of dust. Sora shielded his eyes and coughed.  
"Get off," Roxas mumbled.  
"Oh!" Sora sprang to his feet. "Sorry.."  
"I just saw her, we need to find Silph."  
"Kay."

o.o.o.o.o

Passiva stepped out from the mist, rapidly unleashing a string of attacks at Silph. She would turn to mist as Silph countered, then materialize only to return her attack. She stopped, listening to the sound of approaching footsteps.

Silph took Passiva's moment of pause to blast a beam of light from her spear-blade. "Don't you dare ignore me," she hissed. She had lost too many friends and allies to Passiva to let her get away with it. She would avenge Riuki and Sarcasm even if it cost her her life. Passiva dissolved into a cloud of mist and the light passed harmlessly by to slam into one of the nearby buildings. It started to crumble, raising up a cloud of dust. Passiva materialized again as if nothing had happened. "Stop running!" Silph shouted angrily. "Are you such a coward that you have to use such cheap tricks to win?"

Passiva appeared from behind, half concealed inside a cloud of mist. "Come," she whispered, completely disregarding what Silph had said. The mist spread to Silph and consumed her.  
Silph opened her eyes, only to find herself in the town square. The fog had faded from the area but remained spread throughout the alleys and streets.

o.o.o.o.o

Sora froze. "Do you hear that?" he asked.  
"Hear what?"  
"Listen."  
The two fell silent. Sora closed his eyes, listening to a distant sound. He looked up at the towering structures surrounding either side of the street. He squinted, noticing a dark shadow from above. Its features became more defined as it drew closer and closer. "Watch out!" Sora and Roxas jumped to the side as a large stone slammed into the road between them. Loud creaks echoed throughout the street, followed by a heavy crash. A cloud of dust spread within the fog. The ground rumbled violently as the buildings began to cave from behind.  
"Run!" Roxas shouted. Sora bolted down the misty street, Roxas at his side. The dust cloud expanded as the structures collapsed one after the other.  
"Look!" Sora pointed. The street opened ahead of them into a large square. Roxas nodded, glancing behind. The two of them ran across the square as the final tower collapsed into the road behind them. Roxas bent down, catching his breath. Sora heaved a sigh of relief, grinning. "That was close.."  
"Yeah," Roxas agreed. His eyes widened. "Wait, what about Silph?"

"What the?" said Silph taking in her new surroundings. She noticed Sora and Roxas close by. "Where have you guys been? I could have used your help back there."  
"There you are," Sora sighed. He walked forward to meet her. "I went after Passiva, but the building caved."  
"That was my fault," Roxas admitted.  
"Where'd you go?"  
"I was following Passiva into an alley," said Silph. "I lost sight of her after that, but she came after me. We fought for a bit and the next thing I know I'm here." Anger suddenly filled her as she thought of each time Passiva had bested them. She balled her hands into tight fists around her keyblades. It infuriated her to think that they might be playing into Passiva's plot somehow. They had all been led here without even realizing it. "She's just playing with us," said Silph bitterly. "The moment we entered this world was the moment we fell into her trap."

Sora looked down. Because of him, his friends were in even more danger.  
Roxas wandered around the square, his attention drawn to a stone structure in the center. He walked toward it and dismissed the keyblades. He stopped in front, examining the stone. Small etchings marked the structure. "What is this?" he wondered aloud.

Silph glanced at the monument. She dismissed her keyblades and made her way over closely followed by Sora who still seemed a bit distressed. Looking closely she could just make out the names of various people. There were hundreds of them. "I'm not sure," said Silph trailing her fingers over the dusty markings. "They're all names as far as I can tell, but I don't understand what it's for."

"Let's get out of here," Roxas said. "Passiva's still out there."  
Sora nodded, scanning the strange monument once more before turning to follow.

"_It is a shame to have lost what you have fought for so long-_" a cold voice echoed across the square.

Sora wheeled around, summoning his keyblade.

"-_All efforts lost and life with it. The same befell this very world. As darkness rose, the people would flee toward the light. Those who were tempted by it fell. Those who challenged the darkness were consumed. Effort and life, wasted. You will all share the same fate._"

Roxas was thrown back by an unseen force into a nearby building. He braced himself for the hit as he crashed through the wall. The small red orb fell from his pocket onto the dusty floor.  
"Roxas!" Sora called, rushing forward. The fog poured from the streets into the square, making it almost impossible to see. He was thrown back into the stone monument. He caught himself, dropping down at the base. "Silph!" he shouted. He blindly rushed into the mist, tightly grasping the keyblade.

Roxas opened his eyes, finding himself pinned to the ground by a fallen rafter. He reached underneath the chipped beam, attempting to lift it enough for him to slip out but dropped as a rush of pain overcame him.  
Passiva stepped forward, watching his small struggle. "The three of you are more trouble than you are worth," she sneered. "But still hold some value. Unfortunately, I've no use for a nobody." She raised her blade, immediately thrusting it toward his chest. As it drew inches away a metallic object flew by, knocking the sword aside. The object struck the wall, bursting into flames.  
"Another one?" Axel shook his head, the chakram appeared in his grip. He grinned, spinning the it around his finger. "You know, you're not making this any easier for yourself. Remind me why I'm helping you?"  
"Enough," Passiva said, clearly agitated.  
"Oh yeah, almost forgot about you," Axel jumped back, crossing the chakrams. The weapons ignited as he hurled them simultaneously toward her. She lifted the sword in their path, sending them back to Axel.  
"Axel!" Roxas shouted through clenched teeth, trying to remove the beam.  
Passiva appeared in front of Axel, slashing forward with her blade. Axel countered, a wall of fire shooting up between them. She lept back into the air, landing in a staggered crouch. A small sphere brushed against her shoe, pulsating a dim reddish hue. She stood up, looking down at the small orb.

"Are you crazy?" Roxas yelled as flames spread across the ceiling and the floor.  
"Do you want my help or not?"  
Axel turned toward the sound of a sharp _crack_. Small shards of glass fell from beneath Passiva's heel.  
"You've gotta be kidding," Axel muttered under his breath. The shattered glass turned into small beads of light, gradually disappearing, causing him to slowly fade as well.  
"Axel!"  
Axel faced Passiva, dismissing the chakrams. "Listen," he called over his shoulder. "This place is about to come down. I'm giving you one more chance to get out. You better do it fast." He opened the palms of his hands. As he did, a towering wall of flame shot up, separating him from Passiva and advanced toward took a small step back, standing her ground. Roxas pushed against the heavy rafter with all his might, trying to make it budge but it was no use. He helplessly peered over the giant block of wood. The flames were extinguished and Axel was gone.  
Passiva stepped down on the beam, pressing it down against his chest. Roxas' head slammed against the floor as she stepped, pinning him down to the floor.


	30. End

**:: Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters! _This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht and icefire5689. _**

**_Thank you all so much for your patience! We had the end finished for awhile now, but after graduation, work and the start of college, things have plunged into chaos and endless homework haha Break has now started so it's taken a bit to get back into the swing of things. (Oh, I've missed Fanfiction!)_**

**_Chapter Note: We originally wrote this story with our own "sequel" originally in mind. Over time, our plans changed so much that we changed the ending to this story at least three times. *more will be explained about this chapter at the end of this chapter so I don't spoil anything for you!* As I mentioned earlier, the story was finished for awhile but it took quite a bit longer to get it all down in order (longer that I had intended by far!). Because the story has multiple authors, it's been difficult to find time to pull things together. Many are off in college, working, or out of the country._**

**_Phew! After those long months, it's finally here! Enjoy!_**

"Roxas!" Silph shouted as she hurled a beam of light from her spearblade at Passiva, sending her flying through the building. She came to where he was pinned and helped him lift the beam aside.

"Are you alright?"

Roxas slowly sat up, clenching his teeth, his body aching from the beam's pressure. "Yeah," he said softly, rising to his feet. The building creaked from above followed by a loud _snap_. "C'mon!" he yelled as the ceiling began to cave. He staggered toward the wall's opening as fast as he could with Silph alongside. A large cloud of debris smoked from behind as the floors collapsed from behind them. Roxas fell to his knees, catching his breath.

"Hey!" Sora rushed forward. "You two okay?"

"We're alive if that's what you mean," said Silph brushing dust from her shoulder.

The spreading cloud of debris suddenly parted by a gust of wind from within the falling tower, spiraling along the base of the cobblestoned ground. Shards of light broke through the debris and the smoke immediately parted, leaving a clear path. Passiva emerged from the clearing and the light dimmed into threads of light that whisked around her. She extended her arm to the side of her body and the mist evanesced from the square, leaving behind a still and eerie atmosphere.

Her sword appeared at her side, becoming engulfed by light. She closed her grip on the elongated end, pointing it at the stone structure. Thin lines of brightness seeped their way across the stone surface into the engravings, giving off an ominous glow. Streams of mist snaked their way into the square, taking on the form of small creatures. Each one bore a heartless-like insignia on its back.

"Heartless?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think so," Roxas shook his head. "These seem different."

Passiva lowered her sword and stepped forward.

Sora tightened his grip, watching her advance. He glanced at Silph then back but she had vanished in a blur of motion. Passiva now stood, inches from his face. He quickly lifted his blade to counter her sword. Passiva turned, sharply swinging her blade around and kicked him to the ground. The creatures quickly rushed forward, turning into a transparent vapor and coiled around his legs and wrists. They pulled him in, slamming him against the structure.

Sora squirmed, fighting to release the bindings.

Passiva then turned her attention to Silph, back-gripping her sword.

Silph rushed forward and sparks flew as blade met blade. Passiva, with a quick flick of her wrist, sent Ace-assassin skidding across the cobblestones. Without wasting any time Silph swung her spearblade forward, but Passiva was too quick. She twisted to the side and before Silph realized what was happening her other blade clattered to the ground.

Passiva's hand grasped her throat. "It looks like you are the lucky one," she smiled. Ghost-like creatures materialized around Silph's wrists. Passiva smiled, stopping in front of her.

"Stop!" Sora shouted, still attempting to break free from the bindings. "Leave her alone! Silph!" He desperately glanced over at Roxas, who was struggling to rise to his feet.

Roxas let in a deep breath. Sora wasn't going to be able to do anything by the looks of it and he was in no condition to take on Passiva alone either. Then again, if neither of them could make it, Passiva would kill her- maybe all of them. Namine and the others were still waiting on the other side and Passiva was full aware of it. Who knows what she'd do to them?

He summoned his keyblades. Then, leaning against Oath Keeper, rose to his feet. Roxas withdrew the blade, charging toward Passiva.

Roxas hurled Oblivion. Passiva caught the glint from the metal as it flew through the air. She swiftly stepped aside to avoid contact. He leapt into the air, bringing the blade down over her. Passiva turned away from the blade and it struck the stone with a heavy blow. She took a step forward, bringing the blade down on him. Roxas recalled Oblivion, quickly raising both blades and holding his ground. Passiva slowly brought the blade down with what felt like little effort, causing him to fall to his knees.

"Roxas!" Sora shouted. As Sora cried out the sound of metal flying through the air went past his ear, heading towards Passiva. The creatures binding him shattered into shards of light. Passiva jumped back as Road to Dawn whooshed by, landing right next to Silph who also was set free.

"Riku?" Sora looked around searching for the keyblade's owner.

He watched as Road to Dawn disappear only to reappear in it's master's hand who had stepped out from behind the stone monument.

All eyes widened in shock as Riuki came into view.

"Riuki!" Sora rushed forward. "But how? I thought you-"

"It was Namine," Riuki interrupted. "She was able to brake the connection I had with the heart." Riuki turned his attention back to Passiva.

"I remember now what you did, what you made me do. I will not let what you did to this world happen again." He held up a small stack of paper for her to see. Passiva tensed, her eyes fixed upon the pages. In one fluid motion he tore the pages, allowing them to fall to the ground.

"Sora," said Silph as she ran to stand next to him. "What's going on? How does Riuki know Passiva?" In all her memories of being with the souless she was sure Riuki hadn't been there, but he seemed to know things. Things that he shouldn't. Then again, Passiva had her babysitting Sarcasm the whole time. It was very possible he was kept secret from her. Just how many secrets did Passiva have?

Sora shook his head, watching the scraps of paper slowly fall to the ground. What was Riuki saying? The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Was she reason behind the world's desolation?

Passiva closed her eyes, her lips curving into a grin. "Yes, I suppose I couldn't have done it without your help- or Organization XIII. And now, everything must draw to an end. Everything you stand to fight for will become as meaningless as those who came before!"

The slashed her blade through the air. Mist spiraled overhead and a gust of wind rippled out from the center. Roxas shielded his eyes, squinting to see through the dust. The creatures slowly started to close in, separating them from the stone monument.

"Sora!" Riuki shouted. "You and Silph need to get to the structure in the center of the square and seal the keyhole before she destroys this place with us inside! She has complete control over this world! If we seal the keyhole, it should separate that control. Roxas and I will do our best to stall her. Now go!"

"Kay," Sora summoned his keyblade and followed after Silph, who already started toward the structure. Mist formed a thin wall in front of them and materialized into the heartless-like creatures. Sora raised his keyblade in the air. Bolts of lightning rained down on the creatures and they immediately disappeared in a wisp of white mist. Silph rushed past the small clouds of vapor. As more of the creatures appeared, she struck them down to clear a path.

"Sora," said Silph as they ran. "Leave anymore of those creatures to me. Just focus on sealing the keyhole."

Passiva thrust her sword into the ground. Light from her sword shot out through the veins of the cobblestone, drawing a line between Riuki, Roxas and herself. The line cut off around the monument and the ground began to shake. Sora stumbled and watched as the ground in front of him shot up. Passiva peering down at them from the edge as the earth rose higher.

Sora stabbed his keyblade into the wall of dirt, holding on as it continued to rise. He swung himself around the blade and caught on to the edge of the cliff. He grabbed hold of the torn cobblestone in attempt to hoist himself up. Sora looked up at Passiva. She raised her blade and stepped toward the edge, ready to strike.

"Sora look out!" Silph shouted as she appeared from out of a light portal. She slammed into Sora and they both tumbled into another portal that opened up before them. Passiva's blade swept by them, just missing.

Sora and Silph rolled out the other side of the portal onto the raised ground. "Get to the keyhole!" said Silph as she stood to fend Passiva off. She'd give her life if she had to.

Roxas opened a portal and ran inside. Riuki followed and it closed from behind. A burst of darkness shot out from the ground next to Silph and the two of them emerged. Passiva faded into mist, quickly reappearing from behind Silph. She brought her blade down on her, only to have it slam against a white shield. Roxas lowered Oath Keeper and the shield shattered.

Riuki burst through the shards of falling light and clashed blades with Passiva while Roxas lunged, diagonally swiping the keyblades. With little effort she swiftly ducked from underneath Riuki's blade. She turned and slashed her long sword, sending Riuki hurtling toward Roxas.

"Here!" Roxas held Oblivion out to the side. Once Riuki grabbed hold, he quickly swung it around. Riuki released his grip, allowing the momentum to send him back to Passiva. She glanced to the side, eying him as he drew closer. Roxas immediately joined in as soon as Riuki's keyblade met Passiva's. Together they pressed down against her sword while Roxas pointed his free blade at her.

Passiva gripped hold of the keyblade and tugged it behind her, causing him to stumble forward. She then pulled her long sword free and traced her fingers across the blade. A white barrier surrounded the three of them, trapping them within. The clear wall broke apart into small lights and gathered in between them. The light clusters burst apart in all directions, sending both Riuki and Roxas skidding back near the edge of the raised ground.

Roxas grabbed a hold one of the cobblestone's grooves just as he started to slide off. He grunted as pulled himself up and looked after Sora, still making his way to the keyhole._'Come on Sora,' he pleaded. 'Hurry...'_

"Fire!" Sora shouted. A ball of flame shot out from the tip of the Kingdom Key and the creatures parted, forming a temporary path. He darted straight through, slashing his blade whenever the wispy creatures attempted to bar his way. The beings closed in on him as he stopped directly in front of the structure. "Come on!" he groaned, glancing in all directions. "I don't have time for all of you!" he raised his keyblade high above his head and a storm of wind spread out across the area. The creatures were blown back by the force of wind. It wasn't going to hold forever, but should keep them at bay long enough to seal the Keyhole.

Sora jumped back, spinning the keyblade in his hand. A bright light gathered at the center of the monument, resembling the outline of a keyhole. He pointed the keyblade at the structure and a bright beam shot out from the tip of his blade. A faint _click_ echoed across the square.

Passiva turned from the fight, her eyes burning with fury. "No!" she screamed.

"Alright!" Sora threw his fist into the air. He let out a sigh of relief, facing the others. The Keyhole's surface sealed itself with light and disappeared. The light surrounding Passiva dimmed until it had completely faded from view. Her sword slipped from her grip and she fell to her knees, her hair falling in front of her face.

The seemingly endless creatures faded into mist and whisked away into the cold air. Sora heaved a huge sigh and dropped to his knees in exhaustion. "Is it over?" he asked, but only too soon. Small tremors shot out from the ground beneath them. Sora placed his hands on the ground to steady himself as it began to quake more violently.

"We need to get out of here," Sora said under his breath. A section of the ground next to him slid off the edge and down to the square below, causing the remainder of the raised ground to slightly sway.

"Well come on!" Roxas gestured to a portal. They shot through the portal as Silph entered her own and appeared on the earth below.

"The only thing that was holding this place together was Passiva's will over the heart of this world." Riuki looked at the unsteady buildings as they began to collapse. "When we sealed the keyhole..."

The ground trembled and buildings started to fall to rubble around them. Sora gestured for the group to follow. "Come on! We can get back the way we came!"

They ran as fast as they were able, while dodging the falling stone and beams. Sora picked up speed once he spotted the eerie pond, surrounded by the long grass. A clear portal rippled on top of the water's surface.

"Let's go!" Sora urged. Riuki helped Roxas inside the translucent portal, turning to be sure Sora was following behind.

Sora allowed Silph to enter first before stepping inside. As he took a step forward he immediately felt a harsh jerk that tore him away from the portal. He grunted, looking up to see wispy, shadow-like figure approaching him only feet away.

"Sora!" Riuki called as both he and Roxas were thrown through the portal, closing behind them.

Silph somehow manage to escape the portal's pull, but as she looked back at their now sealed exit she began to wonder how they were going to escape. "Sora," she said running up beside him. She swung her keyblade at the approaching shadows trying to keep them at bay. "You alright?" she asked.

Sora nodded, slowly rising to his feet. He immediately summoned his keyblade, taking a stance as he did so.

The being in front of them stopped. They lowered their slender sword, gazing down at them with piercing, yellow eyes. Long dark strands of black whisked around their body like flames.

"Passiva," Sora muttered under his breath. "I don't understand, what happened?"

"She gave into the darkness as her final resort," Silph said sternly. "There's no fooling around."

Passiva stood over the center of the pool. She traced the sword's edge with the tip of her finger and thrust it into the water. The sound seemed more as though the weapon tore through wood rather than water. As the blade sunk through, an explosion of darkness burst from the center, swiftly engulfing the world in black.

The world around them became completely swallowed in darkness, causing all the surrounding features to melt into the dark.

Sora sliced his arm through the air, summoning the Kingdom Key to his hand. "Ready?" He asked Silph.

"Ready," said Silph, keyblade already in hand. "Let's end this once and for all." She charged forward, leaping into the air and swinging heartbreaker down hard on Passiva.

Waving her hand, black ribbons lashed out from beneath Passiva, seizing Heartbreaker. Silph struggled to pull the blade from the bindings and looked up to see the long black blade coming down on her.

A string of white light shot through the darkness, knocking the blade loose from Passiva's grasp. The weapon flew through the air and stabbed into the ground. Sora took this opportunity to step himself between Silph and Passiva, lifting his blade to block her attack. He pressed forward, allowing more space between them and spun his keyblade around. Orbs of light circled around him, hovering feet off the ground. All at once, they burst forward toward Passiva, exploding as they made contact.

The wispy black ribbons sunk back into the blackness of the world, freeing Heatbreaker.

Sora charged, swinging his blade in a horizontal slash as he came closer to her. Passiva lept into a backward aerial to avoid the blow, disappearing into a ripple of black as she made contact with the ground. He backed up, keeping his blade at the ready while glancing in all directions for any sign of her appearance. Silph did the same. Soon they were back to back, their keyblades at the ready.

"She'll come from where you least expect it," said Silph keeping her eyes on the shadows all around them. "Quick and sharp, you must be ready to dodge in an instant or it's over. That's when we can catch her at her most vulnerable and strike hard. Think you can do it?"

"Yeah, " he nodded, clutching the handle with both hands. There was a moment of silence as the anticipation began to build. For moments there was no sign of movement; only still was an instant where Sora wanted to question whether she was even there.

Just as he began to lower the Kingdom Key, an airy, hollow sound echoed across the room. He managed to duck down low as a dark shadow flew by, accompanied by a pair of familiar yellow eyes. The same shadow passed once more, knocking him to the ground. Silph stepped in the way as it turned to strike, fending it off with her keyblade. "Sora," she grunted, struggling to maintain her ground. The shadow clawed, trying to reach past Heartbreaker.

Sora jumped up, turning his blade behind him to strike Passiva but she vanished into a dark mist before the blade made contact.

She continued to appear and vanish, managing to get at least one hit in by rapidly attacking from different sides each time.

Sora raised his blade but stumbled forward, panting as he rested his hands on his knees. "What do we do now? I'm not landing any hits." his tone hinting frustration.

Blocking another blow, Silph observed her attacker's pace slowing. Letting out an agonizing yell shadow Passiva leapt back into the darkness.

"She's unstable," Silph indicated. "It doesn't appear like she'll last too long."

"Well we're not doing so great either."

"There's a pattern. If we can manage to dodge this next attack, it might be our best chance at finding an opening."

"But where is she?"

Attempting to pierce through the darkness, their eyes were too focused to even see the faint ripping of the surface below them. As if diving from the pond they had once stood on, Passiva sprang out of the ground between them.

Silph dove to the side as Passiva lashed out, her claws outstretched. Sora staggered back in attempt to regain his awareness of what happened. He immediately lunged forward as Passiva attempted to disappear into the darkness, this time landing a firm hit. She wheeled around, barring his teeth at him, appearing more animal than human.

Instantly, Passiva was back in the air, suspending herself high above them. The surroundings began to shine, giving off almost a purplish hue. The light spread past the keybearers then halted, creating a dome-like structure over them. Slowly the brightness began to shrink, pulling itself toward Passiva. As she continued to absorb it, a thick, dark aura spread across her body.

In attempt to escape the translucent dome, Sora took a step back, only to realize the dome was solid. He slid both hands along the invisible wall. There was no way out. He turned to Silph with a look of determination on his face. "This is it."

Silph nodded. "If we are going to dispatch her, now is the time. We must attack her before she can release that energy. You ready?"

Sora nodded, giving a thumbs-up in response. He slid both hands firmly onto the handle of the Kingdom Key. "Let's do it."

The ground shook from beneath their feet, pulling the entire atmosphere into chaos. The two of them simultaneously bolted toward Passiva, parting separate ways. As they drew nearer, raindrop-like shapes of energy pulled from the growing sphere above her head and pelted the areas around them. Sora blocked them with the edge of his keyblade while Silph dodged. Energy crashed to the ground in flashes of purple lightning. They leapt into the air on either side of Passiva, just as she cut off the dome's surging energy.

A bright light began to shine along the tip of the Kingdom Key and Heartbreaker as they brought the blades down to pierce the sphere's core. Instantly, Sora and Silph leapt backwards, shielding themselves as a massive wave of yellow energy blew out from the core. The waves continued to pulsate, seeping out tumultuous ripples and a bright light. Sora felt himself slid back a few inches and positioned himself into a stronger stance to fight the blows.

The energy's flow decreased, changing direction by sporadically returning to the source of the light. The brightness expanded, releasing brilliant beams that were blinding in contrast to the blackness around them.

Sora raised his arm as a shield, squinting to see as far as his eyes would allow him. He saw Passiva lashing out, clawing the air like a savage animal in a feeble attempt to escape. She let out a shrieking cry as the light burst before them, releasing crystal-like shards of white and mist that faded into the air above. The last of it vanished, leaving the two of them to the stillness of the dark surrounding.

A wave of color rippled from where Passiva had previously stood. The pigment dimmed to a darker tone, forming into a swirling black portal. Sora dismissed his keyblade with a heavy sigh, resting his hands on his knees. He inhaled, taking this moment of reprieve to catch his breath. At last, it was over.

He stood up, letting out laugh that hinted more of relief than humor. Turning to Silph he smiled gesturing to the portal. "You ready?"

Silph grinned and stepped returned to Castle Oblivion, their friends glad to see them unharmed.

"Sora!" Kairi embraced him with a warm hug. "We were so worried!"

Riku stepped forward, giving him an approving nod. Sora's face turned red as he wrapped his arms around her. "It's finally over."

Critter jumped onto Silph's shoulder with a light tackle as Boo fluttered excitedly around her head. Silph returned a smile and laughed as the two continuously bounced around her.

"Alright!" Yuki jumped into the air, giving Amu a high-five. "Wait, so that's it? No more traveling world to world chasing villains?"

"We did it," Sora laughed. It was difficult to believe that it was over after everything that had happened only moments before. They had experienced so much since the King had first appeared on Destiny Island. Now, everything was back to the way it was the day they set foot off out that beach. Sora smiled, stretching his arms while grinning back at his friends. "Let's go home."

"Alright then," Roxas said with a smile. A white light surrounded his body as he stood in front of his other.

"Roxas!" Sora protested, shaking his head.

"The King mentioned that it was only temporary," Namine said softly, her lips forming into a delicate smile. Another glow shone around her figure with brilliant beads of light raining up into the night air. "It looks like we've reached the end of our journey."

"But-" Sora turned from the nobodies to the other group members for help. "If the King made it temporary, there's gotta be a way that you two could stay too, right?"

Roxas shook his head, "It's not like that. This is the way things were supposed to be. Namine and I weren't even supposed to exist, but because of you and Kairi, we got more than any other nobody could ever have hoped for; in the end, we were able to meet our original selves. Hey!" he gave Sora a playful shove. "Cheer up! We're not going anywhere."

"He's right, Sora," Riku nodded. "They're not going anywhere. Roxas and Namine will always be with you and Kairi."

"I know," Sora hung his head. "It's just..." he sighed, unable to find the words to continue. Sora then raised his head, revealing a wide grin. "You're right."

"Of course," Roxas grinned back. "See everyone around!"

Roxas and Namine became consumed by the light, disappearing as the final drop of white fell into the sky. A subtle glow surrounded Sora and Kairi and then faded.

Sora looked around to each of his friends. Everyone's energy had really taken its toll from the fight with Passiva, yet they all somehow managed to maintain their upbeat attitude and endured for so long. With all their new friends and new adventures... they had come such a long way.

"Hey Riuki," Sora said, shaking himself from his thoughts. "Thanks. Without your help we would've been toast back there."

Riuki shook his head. "I caused more harm then good. If I had never gotten involved with Passiva... If I had just destroyed that heart..."

"Then we never would have met." Yuki pointed out with a smile.

As if to show his agreement Critter climbed down off of Silph, making his way to Riuki. Once in front of him he held up his arms, wanting to be picked up.

Riuki returned the smile before kneeling down and scooping up the stuffed creature. "You're right. Without this adventure I would have never met you or Silph. Or you even you, Critter." He let out a laugh as Critter pointed to himself. "As sad as the situation may have been, I can't make myself wish we never met."

"What about us?" Sora made a sweeping motion with his hand to those Riuki had not mentioned.

Again Riuki laughed. "We had met long before this journey started, granted it was through someone else." His gazed shifted from Sora to Riku.

"You're my soulless." Riku stated the fact, having figured it out quite sometime ago.

"What?"

"C'mon Sora, you shouldn't be that surprised." Riuki's expression and tone almost mirroring that of his somebody.

"Are you kidding? Riku! How long have you known? Why didn't you say anything?"

Riku and Riuki laughed as Sora turned from each of them then to Kairi, clearly trying to rack his brain for any possible connection that could have given it away sooner.

After allowing a few more chuckles Riuki again turned serious. "You know what happens next."

"Yeah." Riku nodded as he faced his other self.

Yuki's eyebrows turned, her face full of concern. "Riuki, what are you doing?"

"I really am glad I met you, but now I need to go back." Riuki smiled at her before closing his eyes. As he did his form slowly began to mist back into Riku.

Yuki reached out to him. "Riuki!" His form vanishing as she did so, leaving only the faintest whisper. "This isn't goodbye."

Yuki turned from the group with a pout, wiping tears from her eyes. If everyone else thought it was all normal, then why was it so difficult to let go? Amu gave her a hug and a reassuring smile, letting her know things would be okay. Yuki opened her mouth to talk but a bright glow appeared between the group. There was a burst of yellow and the light faded into three familiar silhouettes.

"Your Majesty!" Sora exclaimed. Two blurs rushed forward, knocking him to the ground. "Donald! Goofy!"

Yuki and Amu cocked their heads at the spectacle while Kairi giggled.

"Sora! Riku!" the King heaved a sigh of relief. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

The King took a look around, noticing three others.

"Oh, this is Silph, Yuki and Amu," Sora said. Feeling a gentle tug on his pants, he looked down at Critter. "Ah-right. Sorry. And this is Critter and Boo," he laughed as Boo soared around them. "They all helped us defeat Passiva."

"Passiva?" Mickey gave a look of confusion.

"Turns out she was the leader of the Order."

"Huh?" Mickey looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Order?"

Sora let out a laugh which quickly turned more and more hesitant as the King continued to stare in confusion. He had assumed he was joking around with him all along, why was he getting the feeling that he wasn't catching on? "You know, the group you told us to look into, right?"

"Sora," Mickey folded his arms, looking down at the floor with thought. "I never said anything to you about a group. After the Organization a few months ago, everything has been just fine."

"But we got your letter."

"The King did send a letter," Goofy began. "but you'd all gone when before we could give it to ya'."

"But Your Majesty, we did get a letter," Sora explained. "It had your seal and was even in your handwriting."

"And we also met up with you," Kairi added. "That was when he brought Roxas and Namine back."

Mickey's confusion turned to alarm. "Sora! I need you to tell me everything!"

He told them about the letter they received and the meeting they had in the Secret Place. Mickey listened with interest the entire time, contemplating on the events he told.

"That does sound mighty strange," Mickey admitted, placing a finger on his chin.

"If you didn't send the letter," Riku questioned. "Then who did?"

"Gosh," the King sighed. "I really don't know, but I betcha Master Yen Sin would. Oh! That reminds me! Sora and Riku," he directed his attention to the two of them, a hint of urgency in his tone. "You two are needed back at Master Yen Sid's tower to complete the Mark of Mastery immediately!"

Sora's eyebrows twisted in confusion, his jaw dropping. "The what?"

_**Chapter Note [continued]: **_

_**Altogether, we originally had at least three other endings to this story. These endings varied to where we wanted the story to go. We planned to come up with a completely new set of villains, basing all our findings on the Ansem Reports as well as other items mentioned in the series. Along with this story, we even came up with an entire prequel. (Whether or not we release the prequel is undecided. This prequel would serve almost as our "**358/2 Days**", telling the backstories of each member of the Order and how they came to be Souls. The backstory also includes Passiva's origins and what happened to the world that she had destroyed. We wanted our story to be as true to the Kingdom Hearts series as we could while being able to present a slight twist of our own to share with our readers.)**_

_**This ending leaves off at a point where we may continue with what we had planned with our separate villains or link it almost directly with Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance. (We acknowledge that not everything lines up picture perfect, but we had such a blast with our first fanfiction attempt!) Whatever we choose is still up in the air, but we're eager to see what KH3D has in store for KH fans everywhere. It could very well be that the game could spark something even better to improve our plot.**_

_**On another note... (as mentioned above) this fanfiction was many of our first attempts at writing. Since then, our group "**Urban Myth**" has branched through new forms of art, music, and stories (some of which we have had reviews to publish!). Together we have over five stories in development or close to being finished.**_

_** Hikari and I recently read over our KH fan fiction and can't help but smile about what over 86 pages of story has come to. This story was written while we were in early high school and since then our writing has improved immensely! (Thank goodness!) Since the close of KH: Cavern of Hearts, we are working on an earlier project we had planned in high school which has now turned into a five-book saga along with a prequel under the title of "**Zombie Tag**". We absolutely love the characters and have every detail planned from start to finish. All we need to do now is get everything on paper!**_

_**Again, thank you all for your messages and reviews! It was so great to hear your feedback or just chat! Enjoy Fanfiction!**_


	31. Special Secret

**:: Disclaimer:: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the original characters! _This story was co-written by Grayangelhikari, Belladonadarkraven, NeoJecht and icefire5689. _**

**_What's a Kingdom Hearts game (or in this case, fan fiction) without a "secret ending"? ***_**_May contain spoilers for KH3D! Discretion is advised!***** This provides the link to our possible "sequel". Whether or not we write is still up in the air...**_

_****_A portal opened between an alleyway in the World That Never Was. A figure emerged, taking a step onto the street's wet stone. Leaning against a wall, he glanced slightly to a shadow, standing in the darkness feet away. "I can't believe those losers were able to take out the Order themselves. Looks like you were right... that wasn't such a bad idea after all.

The shadow spoke nothing, only appearing to give a small nod.

Kicking off from the wall, the masked figure walked a few paces from the alley. Looking up at Memory's Skyscraper, static images of the Keyblade Graveyard reflected off the helmet as it slowly melted away. "What happens now that the Order has been cleared?" Vanitas asked with another turn of his head.

The shadow bearing an Organization XIII cloak stepped out of the alleyway. A smile crossed his lips as hands lowered his hood, revealing the face of a young Xehanort.

**_Congratulations, you've made it! Thank you all for your patience and wonderful reviews! It's always so great and super helpful to hear what the reader has to say and suggest, thank you_ tons!**


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